NEARLY 5,000 South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu)-affiliated employees in Cape Town went on an indefinite strike on Monday, demanding improved wages for standby staff.Samwu has also asked the city to provide transport for employees and opposed the shift system being changed without consultation.Waste removal and water and sanitation services were likely to be the worst affected, the city said.The striking workers include nurses employed at the city’s clinics, as well as call-centre workers.This comes as Samwu and the Independent Municipal Allied Workers Union, representing about 230,000 municipal workers, are negotiating for double-digit wage increases with 278 municipalities.The South African Local Government Association said at the conclusion of the second round of talks last week that it had raised its offer from 4.4% to 5.4%. Unions continue to demand 11%. The third round is expected to start soon.On Monday Cape Town appealed to essential-services employees such as fir...
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