The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) will discuss the violence-prone security guards’ strike, including the disruption of May Day activities in Cape Town, at a central executive meeting on Wednesday.
”There is no place for violence,” said Tony Ehrenreich, Cosatu’s Western Cape secretary.
Ehrenreich was referring to a May Day event being overrun by striking security guards belonging to the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), a Cosatu affiliate.
He said a small group of new union members, not yet immersed in Cosatu’s tradition of trade unionism, did not understand the ”rules of engagement”.
”This violent protest has no place in Cosatu. If they persist, we will report them to the police or kick them out of Cosatu.”
Ehrenreich, speaking as Satawu held out for a better wage settlement than that accepted by 14 smaller unions, said Monday’s action at the Good Hope Centre will not divide workers along racial lines, but might divide categories of workers.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Superintendent Billy Jones said there was ”no official charge that was laid” regarding an alleged exchange of shots between striking security guards and their colleagues on duty at Cape Town’s Industria airport earlier on Tuesday.
Jones said a report of a single shot being fired was received, but nobody could confirm this, with a crowd of about 50 protesters dispersing when police arrived.
In Johannesburg, Satawu said the security-guard strike will continue until workers’ demands are met.
”We are waiting for the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration [CCMA] to call us back to the negotiating table. Our members will be on strike until they get what they want,” Satawu president Ezrom Mabyana said.
He said the CCMA is expected to call the union and employers back to the table for negotiations later this week.
On April 1, 14 other unions accepted an 8,3% increase, while Satawu continues to strike, holding out for 11%.
Mabyana said reports of violence by Satawu members since April 1 were ”unjustified” and that the strike will not be called off, despite violence in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend.
”The people in Durban were provoked by the police at the Department of Labour office and that is why they reacted violently. We are in control of our people. They know that we condemn violence,” he said. — Sapa