PUTCO allegedly dumps faeces in a residential area in Soweto as part of its reign of terror against suspended workers

21 February 2024

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has noted the statement issued by Putco today where they desperately try and cleanse themselves of the allegations which the union has made against them. It is a fact that Putco is brutal and is treating suspended workers inhumanely. We wish to set the record straight and correct their lies, one by one. At least 120 workers are suspended and are being victimized by Putco management.

Below is a detailed response to the allegations they make:

1.     Putco attempted to con workers out of getting their bonuses and salary increases

For the year 2020 Putco applied for exemption from the 6% salary increase and the payment of bonuses. What is interesting is that in the press statement issued by Putco, they do not deny that they attempted to apply for exemption, by falsely pleading poverty. Their application was denied by the Exemptions committee because it found that Putco could afford to pay the increase and the bonuses. The salary increase would have cost Putco R38,8 million. But instead of paying salaries, Putco chose to pay a major shareholder at Carleo Enterprises a whopping R60 million! At the same time, this generous pay out was made during the height of the covid-19 pandemic when workers were starving because government was inefficient about paying the covid TERS relief payments, but Putco got a full subsidy from government whilst the majority of its employees suffered.

In the period that NUMSA was fighting this issue with Putco, workers became impatient and were justifiably angry over Putco’s attempts to con them out of their hard earned increases and this resulted in the work stoppage that took place in 2022. This was because even at that stage, Putco was still refusing to pay the increases and pretending it could not afford, when its own finances proved that it could afford. It was the actions of workers that compelled Putco to pay the increase and the bonuses, after the CCMA intervened and a section 150 settlement agreement was signed. Putco management did not pay out of the goodness of their hearts, or because they were motivated to do the right thing, no! They were compelled to pay because workers were withholding their labour and the only way to persuade them to return to work, was for it to agree to make the payments. We must remind them that if it was not for the actions of these workers, they would never have paid a cent of the increase or the bonus in the first place!

2.     Putco allegedly dumps faeces in a residential area as part of its reign of terror against suspended workers!

Putco is treating workers like animals because it does not allow them to use decent toilets, they are forced to use portable toilets. Previously, they made them use bucket toilets and then later changed them because NUMSA complained. We have also seen disturbing video footage of the portable toilets. Our members at the depo in Nancefield in Soweto are alleging that Putco empties out the portable toilets in an open field a few meters from where they are forced to sit and this is in a residential area. It seems it is illegally dumping waste material in a residential area, and because of the heat, the stench of the waste is permanently in the air. It affects our members and the surrounding community. All of this is done because Putco refuses to allow these workers to use decent toilets in the building. If this allegation is true, then this is a gross violation of dignity and it shows the level of disdain that Putco has for African workers, and the community of Soweto at large, because it allegedly dumping faeces very close to where they live. In the video the worker complains in isiZulu that, “They (Putco) are dumping our sh*t right where we are forced to sit”. (NUMSA will happily share the footage of the dumping of waste with the media upon request).

At the Pretoria Depo, the space where workers are forced to sit, is an old warehouse which is like a cage. Our members have nicknamed it “prison” or “cage” because it has a wire fence surrounding it and the entrance is permanently guarded by security guards. We reject the lie peddled by Putco that workers are given access to decent water. They are forced to drink water from a Jojo tanker. Putco management has never tested that water to ensure that it is safe and sanitary to drink. In Soweto the water tanker sits and bakes in the sun and workers are compelled to drink it, because they are banned from accessing decent water.

3.      Salaries of suspended workers are withheld even if they produce medical certificates

Putco does not deny in its statement that it is withholding salaries from workers, even when they produce medical certificates. It claims it is not paying salaries in full because workers are submitting fraudulent medical certificates. Putco unilaterally decided that the certificates are fraudulent, but they have not provided any evidence to back that up. They have made the unfair and unreasonable demand that if a worker is sick, then doctors must provide an affidavit with the details of the workers condition before they will pay their salaries. That is an abuse of power, and a flagrant violation of privacy! They have no right to demand that, they are not medical experts.

Putco is so cruel, that it even withheld the salary of a man who was hospitalized during his suspension, because he was a victim of crime and had been shot and was in serious condition. They did not pay his salary in full even though they knew he was in ICU recovering from gunshot wounds!

In another case, Putco withheld the salary of a woman when she collapsed at the CCMA during the disciplinary hearings and was taken to hospital by the company. According to them, she was away without leave, and therefore they would not pay her, but their officials were there when she collapsed at the CCMA and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

There was another incident where a worker was injured whilst sitting in that dodgy prison-like warehouse in Soweto. He cut his foot quite badly because the area is littered with old broken equipment and rusted parts. He was taken to hospital by Putco but to date, they refuse to pay his salary because they claim he was absent and they were unaware of his whereabouts. (We have pictures of his foot injury and we will be happy to share with the media if they want evidence).

4.     Unlawful deductions

Almost every month employees at Putco are experiencing unlawful deductions. We have reports where some members have been short paid amounts of R3000 or in some cases, R6000. And when workers enquire about the deductions, Putco management is unable to adequately explain why the deductions occurred. If they do explain, they hide behind the lie that workers were off sick and refused to supply an affidavit to confirm the type of sickness they had and therefore, they did not get their full pay.

5.     Amending suspension conditions unfairly

We must remind Putco that the Section 150 settlement is a lawfully binding agreement which binds all parties, including Putco. Putco in its press statement misleads the public and does not disclose that it unilaterally changed the conditions of the suspension which are part of the section 150 agreement which was signed. They have no right to ‘review the conditions of suspension” without consulting all parties, especially labour. They did not consult any union when they changed the conditions. The agreement stipulates that workers will be placed on suspension with full pay. If they want to change it, they should have met with unions to change the terms, but they did not. We must point out that there are workers at Putco who are currently suspended on charges unrelated to this issue, but their conditions are different. They are at home while on suspension, and they are not forced to sit in a ‘cage’ or makeshift ‘prison’ at the depo while they wait to be disciplined. This shows that Putco is discriminating and targeting this particular group of workers for exposing the company to the media.

6.     PUTCO is targeting NUMSA Shopstewards

It is bizarre and ridiculous for Putco to claim they are not targeting NUMSA Shopstewards for dismissal. Since January, four NUMSA Shopstewards have been dismissed and others are waiting for dates for disciplinary action. They are definitely targeting them and the goal is to victimize them, because they keep exposing the company for treating workers badly. NUMSA Shopstewards fight for workers and Putco wants to rid itself of any person who can adequately defend workers on the shopfloor.

NUMSA will march to expose Putco for racism and inhumane treatment of African workers

This is why our members are determined to march to the offices of the company on Friday to expose this racist company for its cruel treatment of African workers. We continue to call on the community to boycott Putco. Putco does not deserve the subsidies it gets which are paid for with our taxes, when it has no respect for workers, the community of Soweto at large.

The struggle continues!

Issued by Irvin Jim, NUMSA General Secretary, 21 February 2024