‘THE STRIKE will continue at Telkom!’ South African Communication Workers Union (CWU) vowed on Tuesday, despite the company trying to drive its employees back to return to work.
CWU general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala said the union remained confident that the strike, which has now entered its fifth week, was the best move currently. 870 union members are on strike. Workers had been on strike since the beginning of August, with the CWU only declaring an indefinite strike on the 12th when payroll was closed, the company said. Telkom workers affiliated to the Communication Workers Union downed tools demanding an 11 percent wage increase and six months paid maternity leave.
”CWU remains confident that our strike is making inroads and having a serious impact on production in the company. It has made the company spend a large amount of its time running to the courts in order to interdict the industrial action,’ he said.
The union said it was positive that it would emerge victorious. ‘Our strike is strengthening and we are positive that we will win.’ The union also addressed its issues at MTN, repeating its demands for the company to end an outsourcing of its call centres as well as converting temporary staff into permanent workers. The union has made it clear that a strike was looming if ‘MTN does not cooperate’.
This comes after MTN announced it plans to outsource some of its call centre facilities in a bid to optimise its operations and enhance customer experience. ‘We have engaged and signed agreement with MTN. However… this seems to be on the contrary when it comes to implementation. Outsourcing is not only the area of disagreement.’
The CWU has confirmed it has legally interdicted MTN on the outsourcing matter. The matter is set down for August 31. ‘We are very confident of our case that the outcomes of the case will breed fresh air to those down trodden workers who had sacrificed a lot to turn the fortunes of the company,’ said Tshabalala.
On Monday he accused Telkom of interfering with the salaries of striking staff, who are in their fourth week of industrial action at the telecoms provider. CWU general secretary Tshabalala said at a briefing in Johannesburg the union believed Telkom management’s ‘victimisaton’ of employees was in response to mounting pressure on the company’s operations.
Striking union members had been told to report for work on Monday in order for their salaries, which are normally paid on the 25th of every month, to be paid on September 7. The union accused the company of seeking to implement a ‘no-work no-pay policy’.
The move, which follows a failed SMS campaign to encourage members to return to work, was contrary to the previous practice of deducting from strikers’ pay in later months, and was ‘purely to victimise those who have embarked on a legal strike’, Tshabalala said.
Telkom on Monday denied it was ‘victimising’ employees but was simply giving effect to the ‘no-work, no-pay’ principle. Telkom said: ‘A manual verification of days worked during August will be performed on 31 August to establish how many days, if any, the striking employees worked during August 2016. Accordingly, employees’ August 2016 salary, if any, will only be paid after 31 August 2016 but no later than 7 September 2016, in accordance with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.’
Meanwhile a South African agricultural union has called for a boycott of Robertson Winery products. The Commercial Stevedoring, Agricultural & Allied Workers’ Union (CSAAWU) wants a 57 per cent increase for workers. Around 220 union members had embarked on a protected strike last week. The union’s Trevor Christians says employees currently earn between R2,900 and R3,500 a month.
Christians said: ‘By supporting Robertson Winery you are supporting poverty wages and slavery.’ Robertson Winery’s Anton Cilliers says they are currently offering an eight percent increase. We feel this is an unfair strike and we have fair labour practices.’
Negotiations have been deadlocked after a meeting last Thursday. Temporary workers (scabs) were bussed in on Monday morning to ‘ensure operations continue’. Cilliers adds they are willing to resume with negotiations, despite the union claiming otherwise.
Trevor Christians said the strike would intensify adding: ‘Csaawu is appealing to its supporting organisation to produce their own support pamphlets and distribute them in front of Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar (and) outlets where Robertson wines are sold … we need a mass awareness campaign around why we should boycott Robertson wines during the strike.
‘It is time that farm workers have hope that after all, fundamental change is possible … this is a historical battle. We must win … it is possible, we can defeat this Goliath and restore the confidence of the poor and oppressed.’
• Sasol workers affiliated to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) are determined to continue striking over wages. The workers say they will continue to strike until the company presents a proposed revised offer to its workers.
Close to 1,600 workers in Secunda, Mpumalanga, downed tools last Thursday after the union could not come to an agreement with Sasol. Jimmy Gama, Amcu’s national treasurer, said that workers have several demands. However, first and foremost is a salary of R12 500. ”The minimum wage currently for workers is R7.300. We are also demanding a housing and transport allowance.,’ he said.
‘The strike is ongoing until our demands are met. The strike began on Thursday and will continue until the company presents a plan.’
• ‘COSATU Limpopo is disturbed by non-payment of 205 temporary teachers and support SADTU’s decision to go on a strike action,’ the Limpopo region of the South African equivalent of the UKs TUC said.
COSATU said: ‘We are told that the Limpopo Department of Education blames this anomaly on the implementation of Instruction Note 7 from Treasury that deals with control of escalating compensation of employees and control measures in effecting appointments. ‘The federation is therefore fully in support of SADTU decision to begin preparations towards a full blown strike as follows:
• Declare formal dispute against Department of Education and follow all legal recourse available.
• The union will immediately start with picketing and protest action with withdrawal of labour (Strike) as the ultimate option.
• All teachers and members of SADTU are encouraged not to perform any duty beyond their job description and duties allocated to their posts.
‘Duties allocated to vacant posts must be left unattended with immediate effect to relieve teachers from the burden of performing duties for other people. The federation will urgently convene a meeting of its Public Sector unions on Monday, 29th August 2016 for total shutdown in the province if these demands are not addressed.’
