Striking security guards and employers have been called back to the negotiating table, the guards’ trade union said on Wednesday.
”A letter from the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) was received by both parties late this [Wednesday] afternoon,” the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said.
Spokesperson Ronnie Mamba said the meeting was scheduled for 10am on Friday at the CCMA offices in Johannesburg.
South African business on Wednesday urged the labour department to help end the strike.
”We … believe the Department of Labour should contribute towards resolving the differences in the interpretation of the negotiations that have taken place so far,” the SA Chamber of Business (Sacob) said.
Sacob president Deidre Penfold said the chamber ”deplores” the violence that had accompanied a strike by security guards in recent weeks.
She said the chamber hoped the parties would find a way to resolve their differences in a manner that conformed with labour legislation.
On Tuesday, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana called off public hearings on wages and employment conditions in the security industry.
Mdladlana has the final say on what the wage increase for security guards would be, once he had been advised by the Employment Conditions Commission, which held the hearings.
Commenting on his decision to call off the hearings, Mdladlana said: ”The current environment in the sector where the 14 unions, employers and Satawu are not negotiating … is unacceptable, and would make it difficult for us to implement a sectoral determination.”
Satawu said striking security guards would not hold protests this week.
”The guards are still on strike. They’re at home and will not be protesting anytime this week,” Mamba said.
Satawu members have been on strike since March 23. Fourteen other unions accepted an 8,3% increase on April 1, while Satawu members continued to strike, holding out for 11%.
On Tuesday, Satawu president Ezrom Mabyana said the strike would continue until the demands of the workers were met.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) was to meet Satawu at a central executive meeting on Wednesday.
”The meeting was convened specifically to determine whether Cosatu could assist in mobilising support from the rest of the trade union federation,” said Mamba.
Cosatu would also discuss violence that was part of the strike, including the disruption of May Day activities in Cape Town. – Sapa