It was a quiet day in Nelson Mandela Bay on Friday with no picketing from members of the South African Municipal Workers Union and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) did not join the strike notwithstanding their notice indicating that they would do so.
Most municipal services were rendered as scheduled with no significant disruptions and customer care centres and depots closed because of intimidation on Thursday were reopened. The levels of attendance were better but not all employees returned to work as some members of SAMWU reportedly went to Bhisho for the day.
Meanwhile, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality obtained an interdict to ensure strict compliance to picketing rules by employees participating in the industrial action. The interdict will allow municipal security personnel and the police to be more vigilant in enforcing compliance to picketing rules next week and may even arrest those that overstep their mark.
The interdict orders SAMWU to take all reasonable steps to ensure that it and its members participating in the municipal strike action comply fully with the terms of the agreement embodying the picketing rules concluded between the parties on 16 August 2011; interdicts and restrains SAMWU from organising or causing to be organised any picket or other related protest action other than in accordance with the terms of the picketing rules; interdicts and restrains SAMWU and/or its members from intimidating, harassing or otherwise interfering with employees of the Council who have not embarked on strike action; and interdicts or restrains SAMWU and/or its members from interfering with and/or obstructing the Council in maintenance of its normal operations and services to the public.
Picketing staff members that fail to adhere to the interdict may be arrested and face criminal charges.
