No striking security guard will be allowed to come to work during the strike as from Friday, the Security Employer Organisations said.
”They can’t come to work when they feel like it and strike when they feel like it,” spokesperson Steve Friswell said on Tuesday.
Friswell said in recent weeks, some South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) members joined the strike during the week but had come to work on weekends.
He said the striking Satawu members will only be allowed back to work when the strike has been called off.
The employers also said that they were not prepared to return to wage negotiations with the striking union.
”Employers’ organisations have no intention of re-opening negotiations with a minority party who were present at all times during the wage talks yet elected to abstain.”
On Tuesday, Satawu tried to convince employers to continue with wage negotiations.
”We demand that Fidelity, as a major employer … use its powers to bring back the employers to the negotiating table,” said official Jackson Simon.
The union handed a memorandum with this demand to a Springbok Fidelity representative in Robertville on the West Rand.
Thousands of striking security guards picketed outside the company’s offices. They had earlier gathered at Beyers Naude square where they were addressed by South African Communist Party secretary general Blade Nzimande.
The strikers then left for Johannesburg’s Park Station to catch a train to Robertville.
On April 1, 14 unions representing about 40 000 security guards signed an agreement with employers for an 8,3% wage increase.
Satawu spokesperson Randall Howard said on Monday the union had sent a delegation to the meeting with a mandate not to sign anything.
Satawu continued to hold out for an 11% wage increase.
On April 8 the Labour Court set aside an interim interdict brought by employers declaring Satawu’s strike illegal and unprotected. The court ruled that the April 1 agreement was not legally binding because Satawu had not been part of it.
Harold Mdineka, a coordinator for the 14 unions, denied this, saying on Tuesday: ”The agreement is fully 100% legitimate. There is no clause in the court order that says the agreement is invalid.”
Satawu spokesperson Randall Howard said last week no agreement could be declared credible without Satawu, representing twice as many guards as the 14, which he referred to as ”sell-out” and ”Mickey Mouse” unions.
Jackson Simon on Tuesday also criticised the 14 unions.
”Most of these unions were formed by people from other countries like Zimbabwe. They came here to look for work when they did not find any, they formed unions. These unions can’t lead the workers’ struggle because they’ll grab any deal.
”They don’t have the conscience of the workers’ struggle.”
Mdineka said Satawu would never get its 11% wage increase.
”They [Satawu] will never achieve above what we have achieved so far.”
He said unions had signed the agreement as it was ”absurd” to continue striking for an extra R31 per month and lose R2 400 in monthly wages. They had demanded an increase of R166 per month, but settled for R135.
He urged Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana to promulgate the agreement before 15 June so that workers could still benefit from the increase this year.
According to Mdineka the 14 unions were not in the minority. Of the 55 000 guards who went on strike on March 23, 40 000 belonged to unions which had signed the agreement. The private security sector employs about 285 000 people.
The employers said that the trade unions that signed the agreement collectively represent the majority of unionised employees in the sector.
”On this basis, employers are comfortable that the majority of employee interests are properly addressed through the signing of the [wage] agreement.”
The employers warned that if Satawu continued with its ”purposeless” strike, workers would have to wait much longer for their increases.
Simon said Satawu members would meet again on Wednesday morning at Beyers Naude Square. – Sapa