About 100 Vodacom employees picketed at the company’s head office in Midrand on Friday, demanding recognition for the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU).
”For the past five or six years, we have been trying organise ourselves a mouthpiece. However, this is not happening because Vodacom has used tactics against us,” said Frith Selelo, a senior accountant at Vodacom.
Singing protesters wore T-shirts displaying slogans such as ”Recognise the CWU”, ”Stop union bashing”, and ”Create decent sustainable jobs”.
The workers’ main grievance was that they had no voice at the company. The company required 30% of their 4 302-strong workforce to join the CWU before it would negotiate with the union.
”Whenever we present the company with our member numbers, they give us a different workforce number, therefore we never seem to reach our target,” said Selelo.
Vodacom spokesperson Dot Field said the union had not reached the 30% level required for recognition.
”If they reach the target, then we will gladly recognise them,” said Field.
Selelo said there was no forum for negotiating salaries or employee equity within the company.
While the protests continued, Vodacom said it was doing its best for their employees regarding benefits.
Field said there was an annual salary review and remuneration progression to ensure that salaries are in relation to the economic environment.
”The minimum wage of employees was R90 000 per annum, including company contributions to pension fund and medical aid.”
She said benefits went as far as free antiretrovirals for HIV-positive employees, free emergency services, discounted cellphone benefits and a housing-loan scheme.
Earlier, Vodacom blocked the cellphones of strikers, under a ”no work, no pay and no benefits” policy.
Workers who gathered outside Vodaworld included consultants, supervisors, team leaders, warehouse operators and those employed in customer care.
Selelo said they would not stop the picketing, but were prepared to negotiate with the company.
”We are afraid that once we return to work, we might be victimised,” said Selelo.
He said the dispute over numbers was not relevant.
”While we think we reached the recognisable 30%, we would like to say that this is not a protest about numbers, but about representing our collective voice.” — Sapa