The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) says its members will continue with their protected strike action at the uMsunduzi Municipality until their demands are addressed, following a recent Labour Court ruling in the union's favour.
The court dismissed the municipality's urgent application to halt the industrial action, finding that negotiations between the two parties were still ongoing at the time the application was brought before the court.
SAMWU said the ruling affirmed that the municipality had acted prematurely by seeking legal intervention while discussions aimed at resolving the dispute were still underway.
As a result, the court struck the matter off the roll due to insufficient evidence and ordered the municipality to cover the union's legal costs.
The strike, which began nearly two weeks ago, has disrupted several municipal services in Pietermaritzburg, including refuse collection and response times to water and electricity faults.
Workers are demanding salary grading reviews, updated job descriptions and improved working conditions, among other issues.
Both SAMWU and the municipality have since issued statements regarding the ongoing work stoppage and the court's decision. They also dismissed claims that striking workers intended to disrupt this year's Comrades Marathon, describing the allegations as unfounded.
For now, there appears to be no immediate resolution in sight as the strike continues to affect service delivery across the city.
The municipality has indicated that should the industrial action persist, it will seek intervention from the South African Local Government Bargaining Council in an effort to break the deadlock and bring the parties back to the negotiating table.