The South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) on Wednesday dismissed criticism of its members trashing city streets as "class-based responses".
"Part of any industrial action is to make visible what it is that workers do, to force an awareness on the public of the value of these workers, not just as producers of goods, but as human beings who have lives, who have families to support, who have dreams.
"As a union we do not condone this action, but we at least try to understand it."
The reaction of the media, some commentators such as Tim Modise, and, "sadly, some of our political allies", was misguided.
This was an apparent reference to Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana's condemnation of the violent protests.
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