Cape Town - The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) says it will meet Parliament’s administration one more time on Thursday afternoon - but if there is no progress it would be difficult to continue engaging with those “acting in bad faith”.
This emerged in a feedback meeting in Parliament’s Old Assembly Chamber, on day four of protests at the national legislature over performance bonuses and conditions of service.
“That man (Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana) does not want to move,” said Nehawu parliamentary branch chairman S’thembiso Tembe, saying the union was prepared to discuss the percentage, but not that the bonus must be paid on the total-cost-to-company package.
This was agreed to in the March 2015 agreement, but Parliament has this week disputed this was the case, citing a later June agreement which settled on a 9% salary increase as their reference.
A copy of the March 2015 agreement Independent Newspapers has seen states: “The parties agreed that the payment of a performance bonus should be on an employee’s total package instead of the pensionable value”.
The union also points out key agreements like group life, pension and long-service awards are yet to be implemented, while Parliament has engaged consultants to conduct a working conditions benchmark study the March agreement said would be a joint initiative.
Parliament throughout this week maintained it was sticking to the agreement with the union and had already implemented notch increments and ex-gratia payments.
A series of meetings unfolded at Parliament to resolve the unprotected labour strike, including a briefing by Nehawu president Mzwandile Makwayiba to the ANC caucus.
However, another potential sticking point is the 13th cheque, as at the union report back meeting it emerged that Parliament has not budgeted for this..
And also on the table is the union’s demand that security vetting by State Security Agency (SSA) must be suspended. Parliament earlier this week said this was a new demand, the vetting had been explained, but Nehawu insists it had written to the administration for the postponement and raised the postponement in meetings with the administration.
News that SSA has left the office they were allocated - “They feared for their safety,” said Tembe - was greeted with loud cheers.
Tembe said Parliament found money for the vetting, but not to implement what it had agreed to with workers. “If they say they don’t have money, they squandered it on themselves.”
Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana has come under fire - #Mgidlana Must Fall posters are widely spotted on the backs of red Nehawu t-shirts. Calls for his removal have been made by frustrated workers, who say they are being intimidated by section managers who require them to sign in and out every day.
From Thursday morning Nehawu protested on the parliamentary precinct in defiance of a new court interdict Parliament obtained yesterday. It was only served on the union this morning. “It’s an illegal interdict. Parliament is in breach of the laws of the country. They can’t (claim) legal protection when they are breaking a (legal) agreement,” said Tembe. “Workers were assaulted (Wednesday) by riot police on the basis of an illegal interdict (of 2010),” said Tembe.
Political Bureau