CWU PRESS STATEMENT ON SAPO, ANN7 & COSATU
25 November 2014
SOUTH AFRICAN POST OFFICE
Over the past weekend CWU engaged through our regional and local leadership with workers in SAPO; after a number of considerations, an overwhelming number of workers resolved on suspending the strike.
The decision comes after we had noted with contempt the signing of the settlement agreement between government, SAPO's corrupt management and their 2 Allied unions. The agreement signed has further worsened the conditions of workers in favour of the company bosses and the department.
CWU refuses to sign the agreement based on the following reasons:
- The 6.5% is not the mandate of workers
- The conversion of workers into permanent positions over a period of over 2 years is not acceptable
- The reinstatement of 588 workers who were dismissed in their original positions of employment with their benefits has not been addressed adequately
- Over and above all the agreement further puts conditions which can be fulfilled only if the company has recovered from their financial difficult position
All of the above simply means that the agreement defends the management of SAPO and worsens workers' conditions. Workers have further mandated CWU to continue pursuing their demands and further express their confidence in the leadership of the union. As CWU we are given a mandate to advance these demands and failure to reach any agreement will result in CWU calling for a strike early in 2015.
Workers have further expressed their disappointment over the government's intervention process. The intervention by the Minister of Telecommunication and Postal Services was welcomed by CWU; however, it failed to bring stability in the company but postponed the problem.
It is through this intervention that agreements are still signed outside bargaining structures and with illegitimate structures. This is the very same reason that there were a number of unprotected strikes.
We were further taken aback by the administrator/caretaker, Mr Simo Lushaba, when he announced inaccurate statistics on the bargaining threshold. He even confirms stats of a union without bargaining rights. He has further endorsed an agreement that is signed by a union that has no bargaining powers. This does not augur well for the future of stability in this state-owned company.
We applaud members for putting up a gallant fight and for discipline in heeding the call to suspend the strike.
ANN7
We have been inundated with the following complaints from members at ANN7 news channel:
They earn R100 per hour for reading news;
Interns do not enjoy basic conditions of employment;
Workers work without contracts;
Workers are sent outside the country and not provided with accommodation and basic tools of work (Cellphone, airtime or roaming sim cards, car and other allowances).
Workers have collapsed at work and the company refused to be liable for costs and forced them to go to public hospitals;
The company has no sick bay facility, first aid kit or staff trained to administer first aid;
When the company was asked to provide a car to take an employee to hospital, it indicated that there was no driver available in spite of company cars being parked outside. Co-workers had to use a personal car to take the employee to a public hospital. Because of the low salary the employee receives, like most of the employees at the company, the employee cannot afford medical aid or medical insurance;
Workers are not allowed to eat at their work station and yet management can eat and chew a gum anywhere in the building;
One of our members, Comrade Asanda Magaqa, who led recruitment, was charged for laying a grievance against a white senior manager and was summarily dismissed for leaking information on this disciplinary enquiry and we are aware that the ANN7 management are the ones who leaked the story to media with an intention to assassinate the character of Comrade Asanda Magaqa. We expect Comrade Hajra Omarjee to be dismissed as well for her role as the representative of Comrade Asanda Magaqa in the disciplinary hearing;
Senior managers were shown the door after having allowed the union (CWU) to come into the company premises;
Contracts of workers who joined CWU are not renewed.
The exploitation of workers is happening in spite of the ANN7 spending R25 million - R35 million for the "South of the Year" Awards in September 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Other projects of this nature are planned.
COSATU
The National Executive Committee meeting of CWU held on the 21st November 2014 has been able to reflect on recent developments in COSATU and resolved that CWU should withdraw from participating in COSATU CEC meetings until the federation commit convincingly to the following:
The holding of a Special National Congress before the end of January 2015;
Reinstatement of NUMSA as an affiliate of COSATU without any conditions attached;
The Special National Congress must be inclusive of all affiliates including NUMSA.
The new intervention attempts of the ANC Task Team must not compromise our call for the Special National Congress. We believe that workers' are better placed to deal with the current paralysis in the federation. We believe that the status of the current 2nd Deputy President puts the leadership of the federation in a quagmire in as far as constitutional provisions of the federation are concerned.
Statement issued by Aubrey Tshabalala, CWU General Secretary, November 25 2014
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
