Disgruntled ex-GNT employees picket for unpaid pension funds
The group say their hope is that someone in the provincial hierarchy will give reasons as to why funds belonging to late or retired employees has still not been paid.
POLOKWANE – Hans van Rensburg Street near the Limpopo Office of the Premier and Provincial Treasury offices has been a hive of activity from this morning (March 26) due to a picket by a group of disgruntled, retired Great North Transport (GNT) employees and the relatives of former, deceased employees.
The group have scheduled a three-day picket up to Thursday (March 28) and a two-night vigil from tonight in demand of a copy of a forensic report by the Provincial Treasury regarding withheld pension and provident funds at GNT estimated to total over R300m.
Their picket, they say, is in the hopes that someone in the provincial hierarchy will give reasons as to why funds belonging to late or retired employees has still not been paid.
The Make It Happen Foundation, the non-profit organisation facilitating the night vigil said failure to share documents suggests that there is something to hide.
Other demands as written by the foundation’s Harry Masindi includes:
– The immediate payment of the stolen pension/provident funds.
– Immediate action to be taken against all those implicated in defrauding employees
– That the privitasation of GNT is halted.
The Limpopo Economic Development Agency, who owns the bus service, through its spokesperson Leo Gama said they have also not received the report and “no formal request was made to see it”, from their knowledge.
Provincial government spokesperson Ndavhe Ramakuela said the demands of the report constitute operational responsibilities of the subsidiary and out of scope of work for the Office of the Premier, thus, could not respond.
