Written by Emma Smith
While the City of Johannesburg continues to market itself as a “World Class African City”, its newest tariff proposal will have dire consequences for the 8000 waste pickers who form the foundation of the recycling economy. Starting from 1 July, residents living in houses worth more than R350 000 could potentially pay a R50 “recycling fee” if the City of Johannesburg’s proposed waste management tariff is approved.
In mid-2018, Pikitup (the city’s own private waste management company) started a ‘separation at source’ pilot project that collects recyclables separated from trash by residents in some suburbs. The levy is intended to extend Pikitup’s pilot program. But this is already a job fulfilled by waste pickers who separate waste and ensure that unspecified recycling still gets recycled.
Waste Pickers provide an essential public service for very little compensation. Their work saves the state millions by not only sorting and transporting waste, but by extending the lifespan of landfills. This is also a crucial environment service. In our struggle for environmental and climate justice, we should be looking at ways to support this work and provide decent livelihoods for these workers.
Studies have shown that if left up to individuals, recycling just does not happen. But proper city initiatives, along with insourced jobs and proper infrastructure, can change the nature of waste management in the long run. Instead the city of Johannesburg overlooks the contribution of waste pickers and is now threatening their means of survival.
If the proposal is accepted, waste pickers would be further ostracized within the suburbs where they work and competing with Pikitup workers to get first access to bins. The levy will make it harder for reclaimers to access bins, which, again, would have a massive impact on their livelihoods.
We do not need private waste companies. These companies will always put profit first even if that means hiding waste instead of sustainably recycling it. The profit motive in privatised recycling further does not answer the question of reducing the actual production of polluting materials. We need waste reclaimers to be given the recognition, and support to do their job well as part of the City’s public workers programme. The vast majority of reclaimers pick out waste with their bare hands. They deserve the personal protective equipment which is afforded to other workers as well as an income they can support a decent life.
As WASP, we echo the demands put forward by the African Reclaimers Organisation. Waste Pickers must be recognised and remunerated by the City for their work. They must be included in municipal decision-making and should be regarded as key workers in this industry. Reclaimers should be free to work without harassment from the city or suburban residents.
In conversation with waste pickers, we need to ask critical questions about the nature of this industry and how it can be transformed. WASP believes that there are opportunities to transform this industry to create mass employment and simultaneously fight against environmental catastrophe through a public works programme that can insource waste pickers on a decent wages, safe and healthy conditions of employment with full benefits.
We call on the labor movement to work with and organise alongside waste pickers and reclaimers and strengthen our united struggle against austerity and the capitalist state that does not recognize the social value of this important work.
Please show your support for waste-pickers and their work by clicking here to sign the petition and clicking here to submit an objection on the Draft Integrated Development Plan by 8 May.
