Onderstepoort company and striking workers to negotiate
Company reassures local farmers that the strike has not affected the availability of vaccines for livestock.
The Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) company in the north of Pretoria said it would re-enter wage negotiations with striking workers.
Employees downed tools at the company this week, demanding a 9% salary increase.
“We [will] continue to negotiate with labour to find amicable solutions soon,” OBP spokesperson Zipho Linda said in a statement.
She also said the protest had not affected the availability of vaccines for livestock farmers in the area.
More than a hundred employees, affiliated to the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), took part in a picket at the company’s offices on Monday.
According to the Napsaw, the unions opted to embark on a demonstration after negotiations on annual salary increment at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) reached a stalemate.
READ MORE: Onderstepoort Biological Products management has only one day to respond to unions’ demands
Their demands also included an end to alleged corruption, a R3 000 housing allowance, a R2 500 medical aid subsidy, and a 13th cheque.
They, furthermore, demanded that OBP implement salary benchmarking results by the end of October and review all HR policies with organised labour as signatories.
Napsaw regional organiser Austin Mofyoa said the failure by their employer and the unions to reach an amicable solution, even when the matter was referred to the CCMA, prompted the picket.
“The CCMA tried to facilitate negotiations between the parties, but unfortunately the management was still reluctant to meet our demands.”
He said the 9% increase was not an outright demand, it included “4.1% for Consumer Price Index (CPI) and 4.9% for actual salary increase”.
He said this was in accordance with a policy and an agreement they had signed with the company, which states that “when we negotiate there is a CPI that is given and whatever that we are negotiating much be added on top of the CPI”.
Photo: Ron Sibiya
“Therefore a 4.9% increase is very reasonable for any employees.”
Napsaw national organiser Solly Malema called on workers to unite in fighting against “exploitation” in the workplace.
Malema said they were sending a very strong message that they would fight until the OBP was transformed. He urged the negotiations to continue until finding a solution to the dispute.
He then warned that if the OBP management refuses to negotiate, they would use their power to pressure them.
The OBP eventually agreed to continue with the talks after meeting with the board on Tuesday.
They later in the day issued a statement clarifying progress on the matter.
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