Representatives of security companies and two unions representing striking security guards resumed talks on Wednesday to resolve the 10-week-old strike.
The meeting began at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) offices in Johannesburg at 9am, CCMA spokesperson Lusanda Myoli said.
South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) general secretary Randall Howard said the outcomes of the meeting would probably be announced on Thursday as talks were expected to continue for another day.
Satawu spokesperson Ronnie Mamba said guards have stuck out the lengthy strike in the hopes of improving their lives.
The union carries a mandate of an 11% increase for its workers, but said they are willing to make concessions. ”When we get to the negotiating table we are prepared to talk.”
They also hope to secure maternity leave for female guards.
Members of Satawu and the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union of South Africa have been on strike since March 23. The two unions have not signed the three-year wage agreement that gives workers an average 8,3% increase, as they are holding out for 11%.
Mamba said guards are often the first on a crime scene and are the ones who call in the police. The psychological effects of the job are also not acknowledged, unlike their peers in the police who have counselling support.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions on Monday launched a solidarity fund to cover Satawu’s further expenses in the strike, to prevent the industrial action ending in the union’s liquidation. — Sapa