This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.
Protestors brought Plettenberg Bay traffic to a near standstill on Friday morning as the first day of a municipal worker strike got underway.
This while thousands of school-leavers from across the country started arriving in town for the annual Plett Rage kicking off on Friday - sparking fears of possible disruptions of the festival.
South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) members started the strike action by marching from Kwanokuthula just outside the coastal holiday town along the N2 and through Plett's main street en route to the local municipal offices - along the way blocking traffic.
By 10am they had reached the municipality's public works department building along Marine Drive where they blocked the entrance.
Samwu provincial deputy chairman Audrey Reed said that Friday was just the beginning of protest action and that they planned on striking indefinitely.
Bitou municipal spokesman Kholiswa Masiza said the municipality received notice of the strike from Samwu earlier this month. Reasons for the action included among other issues, the withdrawal of the municipality's transport programme offered to certain officials.
Masiza said municipal workers were disgruntled after the municipality announced that from December 1 it would do away with its transport programme in an effort to cut costs.
"The municipality has since 1997 provided transport for certain municipal workers at no cost to them. The cost of transporting workers on this basis until now was carried by the ratepayers.
"Council has apart from a cost perspective also considered the safety and insurance issue and on October 16 this year decided to withdraw the programme," Masiza said.
In the union's notice they also indicated that municipal workers were also unhappy about the "dismissal of community development workers".
Masiza explained that last year the municipality underwent a restructuring process to eliminate non-key posts.
"The posts of the 14 community development workers were taken off the organogram. Council went further and through a placement process offered the affected officials alternative positions. The positions offered to the affected officials were refused by them. These officials exited from the municipality last month."
But Reed said they were striking because they were unhappy with the municipality's placement policy. "They move workers around from one department to another, which ultimately affects their salaries negatively. We will continue with this strike until there is a solution," Reed said.
Local authorities believe that the strike, which was initially set for November 10 but postponed until November 28, was deliberately scheduled for this period to increase the level of pressure on the municipality by disrupting the festival.
Police spokesman Captain Marlene Pieterse however said members from the George Public Order Policing Unit (Pops) were called in to prevent any disruptions.
Plett Rage safety officer Bruce Richardson said they were also well prepared and that authorities were on high alert and plans were in place to ensure the safety of the young visitors over this period.
"The no work no pay principle will be applied. Municipal services will be affected if the strike proceeds. However the municipality is putting contingency measures in place to minimise the impact of the strike," Masiza added.
Yolande Stander
Garden Roude Media
Picture: Ewald Stander
