Cosatu wants answers from Sasol and municipality in Secunda

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), together with its affiliates, handed over three memorandums during national May Day celebrations on 1 May.

Sasol, Govan Mbeki Municipality and the provincial government each received a memorandum after the federation marched from the Lillian Ngoyi Stadium to the Sasol Charlie 1 gate.

Cosatu demanded from Sasol a hundred per cent compliance in the health and safety of its employees.The union demanded Sasol review its 2.0 restructuring and retrenchment process and wants the company to have a meaningful engagement in dealing with the matter of restructuring.

The union wanted Sasol to review its decision to cancel its contract with Megabus because it affects the employees but not the fuel giant.

They also demanded Sasol change its compulsory polygraph test for employees

Cosatu said Sasol must pay incentive bonuses and increase salary, and not follow in Government’s footsteps by not increasing the salaries of its employees.

The union accused the security company that is rendering services to Govan Mbeki Municipality of non-compliance.

The federation said this company has blatantly and adversely flouted the prescribed regulations and standards, as well as the terms and conditions of the Private Security Industry Regulator (PSIRA), and it does not have firearms licenses and forces its employees to use their privately owned guns for work purposes.

Cosatu claims the company is in gross contravention of the Firearm Control Act 60 of 2000 and said the municipality must deal with the matter.

The federation requested Mr Vusi Shongwe, MEC for Safety Security and Liaison in Mpumalanga, who was present on behalf of the premier, as well as Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, executive mayor of Govan Mbeki Municipality, to intervene.

Cosatu also accused the security company of failing to pay officers their salaries on time and the union also demanded the company pay bonuses and to allow its officers to take annual leave.

The owners of this security company were labelled as being arrogant and uninterested in negotiations.

The Memorandum

In their memorandum to the Mpumalanga premier, Cosatu demanded that the government fight corruption because it is the cause of unemployment.

The union also demanded a moratorium on retrenchments and all employers must find ways of mitigating retrenchments.

Mr Shongwe accepted the memorandum and promised to hand it over to the premier.

Mr Simon Baloyi, senior vice president of Sasol Secunda, took the Sasol memorandum and promised that Sasol will respond within the union’s stipulated time.

Sasol later said in a statement that it always aims to build strong and mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders based on openness, transparency and on mutual respect.

The company also stated that it has structures in place to engage with the community and encouraged the public to use those forums to discuss pertinent issues.

Mr Zuma told the marchers that the council decided to insource security services a year ago, but they will respond to the demands. Cosatu gave each 14 days to respond to their demands.