Theto Mahlakoana Labour Bureau
A GROUP of rebel Cosatu unions have thrown their weight behind the five-week strike against mobile operator MTN in support of the Communications Workers Union (CWU).
The eight Cosatu unions aligned to expelled National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (Numsa) have called on its members to boycott all MTN services until the company gives in to workers’ demands.
This follows the telecommunications company’s rejection of renewed demands by the CWU, describing them as “unacceptable”.
The union was willing to settle on 8 percent bonus payments for workers, the permanent employment of casual labour and to 16 percent in wage hikes.
Their call was bolstered by their allies who also convened a press briefing outside the MTN head office yesterday.
“We say to MTN, stop deferring decisions to others outside the country and start behaving as a responsible South African employer unless you want to be a target of a concerted trade union campaign that will not only undermine the reputation of MTN in this country but across the continent, and the world,” said the unions.
Absent from issues raised by the group which was later joined by former Cosatu general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, was the blow suffered by 300 outsourced workers who were dismissed after illegally taking part in the strike.
CWU had failed to inform workers at MTN that they had obtained a strike certificate allowing only MTN workers to go on strike. The majority of workers who joined the union on the picket line were call centre agents, and 80 percent of the unit has been outsourced by MTN.
Despite the cold Johannesburg weather yesterday, workers came out in numbers to express their frustrations.
But their efforts have done little to change hearts at MTN.
HR executive Themba Nyathi said they had no intentions of entering into a wage agreement with the union.
“We wish to advise our employees that our original position prior to the start of the strike has not changed ie subject to board approval, 4 percent payment in December 2015, 8 percent payment in March 2016 and 4 percent payment in December 2016.
“Sunday work and public holidays are paid according to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and salary increases based on IPF scores,” explained Nyathi.
Yesterday, MTN staffers were flooded with e-mails from management presenting workers with a breakdown of all the financial losses they incurred for every day spent on strike.