Robben Island ferries at the Nelson Mandela Gateway were yesterday delayed by about two hours after a group of angry employees at the Robben Island Museum downed tools in protest against the museum’s acting senior HR manager.
More than 200 people, including tourists, were scheduled to take the 3pm ferry, but the trip was cancelled.
Ferries scheduled to leave earlier were also delayed.
This came after 130 Robben Island employees - most of whom are members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) - demanded that Lesiba Ramoroka be ousted with immediate effect.
Ramoroka has since been placed on “special leave”.
They had previously handed over a petition to the museum’s chief executive, Sibongiseni Mkhize, insisting their demands be met within seven days - a deadline that has since passed.
Some of their demands relate to what they say are “unfair suspensions which are an indication of power abuse”.
As part of their demands, they also want the employee relations specialist and senior HR manager posts to be advertised and filled by women, who are preferably black and disabled. About 13 employees are believed to have been suspended and seven have since been reinstated.
But yesterday Mkhize said he had responded to the petition timeously.
He felt the situation should “never have reached this point” because Ramoroka had been placed on “special leave”.
He did, however, understand the union’s grievances. “I would have expected to be able to discuss these issues with the union. Even though Ramoroka is no longer on the premises, they have continued to picket.”
He said that constitutionally, he could not simply suspend someone “because the employees have a problem with him”.
An investigation had to be conducted and he had requested more information from Nehawu.
He also apologised for the ferry delays. He said they had issued more than 200 refunds.
Meanwhile, Nehawu provincial secretary general Luthando Nogcinisa said Mkhize’s response had been contradictory. “First he said he would suspend him (Ramoroka). Now he has placed him on special leave,” said Nogcinisa.
“The problem is that, while Ramoroka is on special leave, he is still directly involved in operations... This could taint the investigation.”
Nogcinisa said he believed this was an indication that executive management was acting in bad faith. The strike action would continue until their demands were met. - Cape Times