/ 3 August 2009

Telkom employees down tools

Telkom employees in Gauteng were expected to picket outside the offices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration on Monday, the Communication Workers’ Union said.

Information on the union’s website indicated that employees in Mpumalanga, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will picket outside Telkom on Monday and Tuesday in a bid to get the company to adjust their salary scales.

Employees want Telkom to adjust salary scales before implementing a 7,5% salary increase, the union said.

”In Gauteng, our members will be picketing at the CCMA where Telkom and CWU will be meeting at the request of Telkom.”

The union’s Gauteng members were expected to march to Telkom’s head office in Johannesburg on Tuesday to deliver a memorandum outlining their grievances and demands.

The union warned Telkom to make ”meaningful offers” or face a ”serious showdown” as its members would not accept conditional agreements.

”Our members are still adamant that their salary scales adjustments should precede the 7,5% salary increment and both the adjustment and increment must be implemented retrospectively to April 1 this year.”

Should Telkom fail to reach an agreement with the union before August 11, workers will go on strike, the union said. – Sapa