Top News

CITY OF EKURHULENI SECURES A COURT ORDER TO ENSURE ADHERENCE TO PICKETING RULES

By Thulasizwe City of Ekurhuleni 890

The City of Ekurhuleni has secured a High Court order to ensure the striking members of Municipal Employees and Civil Servants Union (MECSU) adhere to the picketing rules and desist from intimidation, violence and actions disruptive to the city’s services.

The court order was issued by the Labour Court of South Africa held in Johannesburg on 1 October 2025.

The High Court has issued an order in the following terms:

1.1 ordering MECSU and striking employees to comply with the Picketing Rules

by:

1.1.1 appointing marshals to monitor picketing at each of the designated picketing areas;

1.1.2 ensuring that the Striking Employees only picket in designated picketing areas between 07h00 and 17h00 on working days;

1.1.3 ensuring that the Striking Employees, whilst picketing in the designated picketing areas do not:

  • forcefully prevent clients and customers of the city, members of the public, other employees who are not on strike and replacement workers from entering or leaving the premises of the city;
  • commit any action which may be unlawful, such as intimidating, coercing, threatening or assaulting any person or causing damage to any property of the city or its customers, service providers or non-striking employees;
  • wear masks;
  • be in possession of any dangerous weapons or inflammable materials.

1.2 ordering the Striking Employees to comply with the Picketing

Rules by not:

  • forcefully prevent clients and customers of the city, members of the public, other employees who are not on strike and replacement workers from entering or leaving the premises of the city;
  • committing any action which may be unlawful, such as intimidating, coercing, threatening or assaulting any person or causing damage to any property of the city or of its customers, service providers or non-striking employees;
  • wearing masks;
  • being in possession of any dangerous weapons or inflammable materials.

The city urges the union and picketing employees to adhere to the court order, and reminds everyone that it will not hesitate to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the order is enforced in its entirety and those that violate it are held accountable.

END