More Durban waste trucks set alight

Anybody know how to build fireproof trucks and buses?

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Two more Durban Solid Waste trucks were set alight and damaged at the company's Clairwood depot on Sunday. This emerged as the company announced that 80 percent of its temporary workers had returned to work after a two-week strike that left the city with a depleted refuse service.

The eThekwini fire department divisional commander, Alfred Newman, said two trucks were set alight at around 11pm on Sunday. "The damage caused to the trucks was minimal and a case of arson has been confirmed," said Newman.

Sunday's events follow the torching of two DSW trucks in separate incidents last Wednesday.

In a statement, eThekwini ANC region spokesman James Nxumalo condemned the burning of vehicles, saying that destroying property would not solve any problems.

"We believe that a solution can only be found through talks and negotiations, and not by engaging in unlawful activities," he said.

DSW deputy head John Parkin said that whoever was responsible for burning the trucks was not helping to solve the dispute between the striking workers and the municipality.

The workers, along with striking Remant Alton bus company staff, want to be employed by the municipality, which is refusing to take them on full time.

"The (employment) agencies were given an ultimatum by DSW to get their workers back to work by the beginning of this week," said Parkin.

He said that many parts of the city had their refuse collected over the weekend.

"Most parts of Durban's refuse have been collected. The service has been slow in areas like Pinetown and Kloof, but all that will be sorted out by the end of the week," he said.

Alfred Dludla, spokesperson for the South African Agent Labour Brokers Workers' Movement - an organisation set up to represent the aggrieved employees - said that the striking DSW workers, together with the bus drivers, had applied for permission to march to the city hall on Friday. This follows the denial of a previous request.

The workers, who have been assembling at Durban's Botha Park daily while on strike, said the rainy weather would not stop them from marching.

One of the workers said they had been robbed by employment agencies. "We are tired of working for peanuts," he said.

Striking bus drivers said they were disappointed that their application to march had been turned down.

A spokesperson for the drivers, Alfred Nzuza, said they were still trying to get Remant Alton to pay the striking drivers their salaries for last month.

"We want Remant Alton to pay us for the days we worked last month," Nzuza said.

Failed negotiations - facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration - between Remant Alton and workers' unions will resume on Wednesday.