Lentegeur Hospital security guards have accused their employer, Helios Security & Risk Management, of violating several labour laws and firing them for joining a trade union.
The workers, whose names the Cape Times is withholding, say 15 of them were told to withdraw their membership from Kungwini Amalgamated Workers Union (Kawu) or not return to work.
Kawu has lodged a complaint for unfair dismissal with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), and the matter will be heard in March. Some of the employees have been served with notices to appear before an internal disciplinary hearing, according to a security guard who has been working for the company for seven years.
“When we joined the union, it was because of the way our boss, Reza de Bruyn, was treating us. We were either denied annual leave or paid for 15 days when we were to go on leave. After a couple of years we realised that we were being played because we were even charged for the uniform,” she said.
Another employee said the company formulated charges that they had not faced before after they had joined the union.
“For the three years I have been working for the company, I have never been called to appear for anything. I was charged with assault, which never happened. Sometimes the company does not deduct our provident fund,” he said.
De Bruyn rejected the allegations against the company, instead saying the guards faced several charges, including insubordination.
“I have never had any employee dismissed for joining the union. Their rights to affiliation is important. You have been given wrong information,” he said.
He would not say how many employees had been dismissed, saying it was an internal issue.
Kawu organiser Energy Baloyi said: “The way they operate is like during apartheid. We have filed a complaint with the CCMA.”