M Mdladlana on accusations by Satawu

25 April 2006

Employers and the striking workers in the Security Industry were the only
ones capable of bringing the ongoing violent dispute to an amicable end,
Department of Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana reiterated today, 25
April.

Minister Mdladlana’s comments followed fresh accusations by the South
African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) that he was “favouring”
employers.

Speaking from Cairo, Egypt, where he is attending the African Union Labour
and Social Affairs Commission summit, he said that both parties and not himself
were holding the key to an amicable solution.

“I did not call for the strike. Satawu leaders must show leadership and stop
their members from assaulting non-striking workers and destroying property.

“The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), an organ
of the Department of Labour, has been trying to get the two parties back to
negotiations. As a Minister of the Department of Labour, I am therefore
surprised by Satawu’s constant calls for my intervention,” Minister Mdladlana
said.

“As an organisation that was instrumental in the formation of the Labour
Relations Act, Satawu should know better that whatever figure they settled for
could not be dictated to by anyone.

“Once the two parties reach an agreement it will be presented to the
Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) which in turn would advise me as the
Minister on the way forward,” he said.

On Monday Satawu accused the Minister of partisanship in calling on all
security industry workers to organise themselves into even larger numbers so as
to create a bargaining council to promote their rights.

The union also rejected as “inaccurate” and “pro-business in character” the
Department’s records that show Satawu as having 20 300 members.

The figure, however, is registered as the current official one according to
the Department’s records as supplied by Satawu.

“If Satawu claims to have grown in membership they know well that they
should record that with the Registrar of Labour Relations as failure to do so
is contrary to the law,” Minister said.

Assuming that Satawu’s membership figures had in fact grown to 34 370 as the
union claimed on Monday, this figure together with that of the other 14 unions
which collectively make up less that 10 000, still fell short of the threshold
required to form a Bargaining Council.

Security industry membership currently stands at just over 100 000 and for a
Bargaining Council to be formed union membership has to exceed 50 000 as
required by the law.

Enquiries:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168

Issued by: Department of Labour
25 April 2006