THE National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) has complained to the Cape Law Society, citing the “unethical behaviour” of two attorneys hired by Parliament to conduct the disciplinary hearings of six employees which gets under way today.
In June Parliament’s secretary, Gengezi Mgidlana, charged Nehawu’s branch chairperson, Sthembiso Tembe, and three other union members, including two shop stewards, for disrupting a staff meeting.
Nehawu argued that their members had only been singing in the meeting and that disciplinary steps against them was a trivial act.
The union wants Mgidlana to resolve complaints that union members who went on strike last year had their pay deducted.
Nehawu have also asked that Parliament revisit performance bonus scores, which it says were unilaterally and arbitrarily reduced last year in the process reducing their bonuses.
The deputy chairperson of Nehawu’s Parliament branch, Disang Mocumi, in the letter charged that the chairperson of the hearing, along with the initiator and employee relations manager, Sean September, had colluded to “get a predetermined outcome” during the hearing of the union’s branch chairperson, Sthembiso Tembe, on July 29 last year.
“We have evidence of this unethical conduct in the form of a voice recording, which is available with our attorneys,” said Mocumi.
Nehawu’s provincial secretary, Eric Kweleta, said the union had raised several issues with Parliament ahead of today’s planned disciplinary hearings.
“We’ve requested some information to prepare. They’ve charged our members, so we’ve asked for audio tapes (of the staff meeting) because all venues in Parliament are recorded.”
Nehawu are also demanding to see Parliament’s procurement documents for the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing, who was brought in from the outside.
Kweleta argued that Parliament had not followed the proper dispute process and because of this today’s planned hearing would possibly not go ahead.
Parliament’s spokesperson, Luzuko Jacobs, said the institution had procedures and processes for the procurement of services.
“These are internal processes. They run in terms of Parliament’s policies,” said Jacobs.
And instead of pointing fingers, insisting on irregularities, Jacobs called on Nehawu to show restraint.
“Avenues are provided in the policy to raise issues.”
He said that despite the complaints, the disciplinary processes against the six remained under way and would proceed.
@mtyala