Cape Town - Discussions between National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) president Mzwandile Makwayiba are continuing on Thursday morning, but progress on breaking the deadlock over performance bonus payments and conditions of service is being made.
“Discussions went very well (Wednesday), but they are not completed yet. The meeting will continue,” Nehawu parliamentary branch chairman S’tembiso Tembe told striking parliamentary employees.
“Sometime today we’ll get a report that will bring joy to us... If there is something positive, the gates to Parliament will open (and) we will do what we know better - to service the members of Parliament.”
Dozens of Nehawu parliamentary employees on Thursday morning are continuing their protest outside the side gate of Parliament at 100 Plein Street.
For a second day, Parliament is in lock-down amid a heavy presence of police from the public order unit, colloquially known as the riot police, and the amaBerete, or the SAPS tactical reaction unit.
Access is controlled: if a person’s name is not on the list held by policemen at the padlocked gates, access is refused.
Two days ago, Makwayiba left labour federation Cosatu’s national congress in Johannesburg to meet Mbete, in what is a clear indication of the seriousness of the unprotected strike by 981 of Parliament’s 1 389 employees.
Two weekends ago a similar “political engagement” between Mbete and Makwayiba led to an agreement that saw the strike suspended. However, the strike was back on from Monday after Parliament’s administration and the union’s parliamentary branch deadlocked, with each side accusing the other of bad faith, on the percentage of performance bonuses calculated on the total annual cost-to-company package.
On Tuesday, Mbete and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) chairwoman Thandi Modise confirmed they as presiding officers gave the legally-required authorisation for the deployment of security forces under the 2004 Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act.
Tembe told workers outside the parliamentary gates the protest would continue - and he had a message for police who apparently have been taking photographs of the protesters. “Police have taken our photographs. (Police are saying) We want to see this Tembe; if anything goes wrong, we’ll arrest him,” he said, calling on police to allow them their legitimate fight for labour rights.
“When (police union) Popcru had a fight with management, we did not interfere,” Tembe said as dozens of police looked on.
“They (police) must leave us alone. We are fighting for our rights. They must not allow themselves to be used (by Parliament’s management).”
Meanwhile, the impact of the strike by parliamentary employees who work in the committee, document, translation, support and research sections is being felt by MPs.
The morning sitting of the National Assembly has been postponed for an hour because of the late circulation of the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC), or Parliament’s record of work, on which Thursday’s deliberations are based.
Political Bureau
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