MORE than 100 security officers providing services to parts of the Cape Town CBD have been dismissed for allegedly taking part in an illegal strike.
The Phangela Group, which is contracted by the City Centre Central Improvement District (CCCID), served the security officers with letters of dismissal this week following a protracted dispute over the alleged unilateral decision to amend the workers’ conditions of employment.
The dispute is over working conditions which have left nine workers injured after officers of a private security company fired rubber bullets.
Some of the workers have yet to receive salaries since the end of March.
Phangela Group took over the workers’ previous employer, Mthuma Protection Services (Iliso) from March 1 in terms of Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act.
Mthuma was the sole security service provider for the CCCID.
Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of South Africa (Demawusa ) spokesperson Nadine Adams said when workers requested disclosure in terms of Section 197 it was denied.
“When Phangela Group took over, the company introduced new changes without consultation and agreement with the union.
“Security officers were demoted without their consent and knowledge, job descriptions were unilaterally changed and salaries were cut. To date, workers have not been paid salaries,” said Adams.
She also said mobile supervisors who needed to drive around to inspect operations were not allowed to drive the vehicles but would be “passengers”.
Adams said a meeting was held on March 11 in an attempt to resolve the workers’ concerns, which included the company’s employment equity policy and occupational health and safety-related issues.
“It was attended by CEO Charl Jacobs. But none of these concerns were adequately responded to,” said Adams. She said that during the following days, workers were refused entry to the workplace, heavily armed officers were brought in and a huge fence was erected.
On March 22 the workers’ concerns were referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) but despite several hearings, the guards’ concerns remained unresolved. “On March 25 employees were instructed to report to the parking lot at the Grand Parade and after waiting for several hours they started singing. Officers belonging to TSU Protection Services were brought in and they fired our members,” said Adams.
On April 11, a certificate to picket was issued by the CCMA and the union gave a 48 hour notice to strike, which would have commenced on April 14.
However, the company applied for and was granted an interdict preventing the planned action.
Adams said most of the disciplinary hearings scheduled by the company took place when the officers were off-duty or after hours, and in the presence of armed guards.
“That’s absurd and a violation of workers’ rights. It is Demawusa’s view that there is an attempt to frustrate small unions such as ours, which represent and protect the rights and interests of workers,” Adams said.
Security worker Shane Huhu said he had now owed a huge debt after he borrowed money from loan sharks to travel to the Eastern Cape to bury a family member.
Demawusa has held two protest marches to highlight the workers’ plight and has appealed to the company’s director, as well as the leader of the One SA Movement, Mmusi Maimane, to intervene.
The workers’ dismissal has been taken to the CCMA while the dispute over the strike notice would be heard in the Labour Court on May 6.
Phangela Group did not respond to questions sent.