Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is making an urgent appeal to the Minister of Labour to intervene, on behalf of the government, to try to resolve the dispute between security guards and their employers.
COSATU fully supports the strike and the legitimate demands being made by these low-paid and exploited workers. We are adamant that SATAWU, which has more members in the sector than all the other unions combined, is the true voice of the security workers, and must be party to any settlement.
Already a number of workers have been injured and even killed. If the strike is not resolved soon it will have very serious negative consequences for the whole country.
SATAWU has already approached the minister for assistance but their calls have not been answered. We are therefore, as COSATU, asking the government to put pressure on the employers to return to the negotiating table and make a serious effort to resolve the dispute.
COSATU also demands that the CCMA exercise its responsibility to convene the parties to a meeting, so that the dispute can be speedily settled through negotiation.
It is imperative that all parties to the dispute now come to the table and conclude this matter. They have no choice!
COSATU currently have more than two million workers, of whom at least 1.8 million are paid up. Even by international standards we have been among the fastest growing trade union movements in the world.
The Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (the CCMA) is an independent statutory body, providing information on good labour practice.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) has a unitary national structure with regional offices in all nine provinces and numerous locals in small towns across the country. The SATAWU Head Office is situated in Johannesburg.
Congress of South African Trade Unions
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