IEC workers’ strike averted at the last minute

A last-minute agreement prevented an imminent strike by employees of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) that could have brought tomorrow’s elections to a complete halt.

After five gruelling hours of negotiation, the IEC and the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), which represented the workers, agreed to start a 30-day programme to resolve the dispute that could have led to industrial action.

The programme would go further to the implementation of the outstanding issues from their bargaining forum.

Both IEC spokesperson Mawetu Mosery and Nehawu national spokesperson Khaya Xaba confirmed that an agreement has been reached and that the elections would go ahead on Wednesday without any disturbances.

“The national union has managed to push the employer to commit to the agreement that was reached at the Electoral Commission National Bargaining Forum, which directed the employer to implement the new organogram by September 1,” Nehawu said in a statement.

The union secretariat said a three-a-side committee had been established to ensure the implementation of the agreement.

This followed a marathon two-day meeting between the IEC and Nehawu that tried to resolve the matter.

Late this afternoon, both parties emerged from the IEC results centre office fatigued, but with smiles on their faces, clearly indicating that they had found each other.

Earlier, the IEC staff threatened to down tools to pursue their demand for better salaries and working conditions from the commission.

The workers, through their union, made it clear they would not start work on Wednesday unless the IEC implemented their demands.

The employees claimed to be paid “slave wages” by the IEC, which they also accused of refusing to implement a proper organisational structure that would impact their salaries.

In a statement, the union’s secretariat said before the meeting: “The union is extremely concerned that its members at the IEC for the past three years have been fighting for the implementation of the organisational review recommendations tabled by the service provider sourced by the IEC at an exorbitant fee.

“To date, the IEC is refusing to implement such recommendations.

“Workers are not paid accordingly and are subjected to slave wages. We view this as misleading the public because our members are unhappy about the salaries and working conditions.”

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