Pikitup faces crunch talks with casual workers

City of Johannesburg waste management service provider Pikitup will hold crucial talks with more than 300 casual workers on Friday who are threatening to strike if they aren’t given permanent employment.

Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe confirmed on Thursday that all depots in the city were fully operational pending Friday’s talks.

The 316 casual workers had threatened to resume their strike on Thursday, which led to piles of uncollected rubbish across swathes of the city last week.

The casual workers, who are employed by Pikitup service providers, have been protesting for weeks, demanding permanent employment contracts from the metro’s waste management entity.

Last week, they blocked entrances to the Marlboro, Waterval, Roodepoort, Randburg, Orange Farm and Avalon depots, preventing waste collection vehicles and city employees from carrying out scheduled services.

Speaking to Sunday Times’ sister publication Business Day on Thursday, the casual workers’ leader, Themba Magoda, said: “The update for today [Thursday] is that all depots are working, but we are waiting for Friday’s meeting with the city and Pikitup officials.

“What we are looking for are fruitful negotiations. If not, there is going to be a total shutdown of all depots. Our issue is straightforward and simple, and it’s not political: give us permanent employment.”

The workers’ demand has divided labour and economists, with some saying the metro isn’t legally obliged to hire them while others argue that the workers have a legal right.

Michael Bagraim, a labour analyst and DA spokesperson for employment and labour, said: “In law they are right to demand permanent employment from Pikitup. I’ve represented so many workers on this matter. The real employer is the City of Johannesburg.”

Bagraim stressed it was unfair of the city to try to “hide behind the fact that they are not the real employers”, adding, “I side with the workers on this one very strongly. The city’s financial crisis is not an excuse; they’ve got to find the money.”

Selepe previously said there isn’t money to recruit the casual workers, and the city ― which has a budget of R97.1bn for 2026/27 ― has placed a freeze on employing more people. He said even if the waste collection company wanted to employ them, it wouldn’t be possible due to the city’s financial constraints.

Labour expert Vic van Vuuren said the metro shouldn’t be held accountable for hiring the casual workers. “But the city needs to ask its service providers difficult questions on whether they are complying with decent basic conditions of employment,” he said.

Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt said: “The reason why the casual workers want permanent employment is because benefits will improve, and those benefits will cost the municipality more money.

“It makes sense, though, that they want to be permanently employed. But the reality is that Joburg is bankrupt. I don’t think it’s a good idea for the municipality to bring them onboard.”

Waste collection is an essential service, and our residents deserve a clean city and healthy environment. As we work to restore waste collection services across Johannesburg, we appeal to all casual workers to allow Pikitup employees to continue serving our communities while engagements with management continue.—  Loyiso Masuku, Johannesburg deputy mayor

Nelson Mandela University political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast said there was no clause in the constitution stating that everyone had the right to employment. “There is no legal basis for the city to employ people against its will,” he added.

Political analyst Kelvin David Knowles said: “I don’t think legislation obligates the municipality to insource them. I don’t think they can be forced to do that.”

According to extracts of minutes of a meeting between city officials, Pikitup and ad hoc casual worker representatives, dated August 6, which Business Day has seen, it was noted that:

Johannesburg deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku has appealed to the casual workers to “allow” Pikitup operations to continue.

“Waste collection is an essential service, and our residents deserve a clean city and healthy environment. As we work to restore waste collection services across Johannesburg, we appeal to all casual workers to allow Pikitup employees to continue serving our communities while engagements with management continue,” she said.

“Let us work together, use the platforms that have been created for dialogue and put the needs of our residents first. A cleaner Johannesburg is a shared responsibility.”