Strikers receive salary increase
Rus 'n Bietjie Old Age Home employees are happy with their expected salary increase and returned to their posts on Thursday after the strike on Wednesday.
The one-day illegal strike over a labour dispute was called to a halt after negotiations between company representatives and the shop stewards were concluded.
Hitler Sekhitla, Sehawu official, says the dispute is not just labour related, but the cleaners and care- workers also want to be sourced back to the old-age home.
They were sourced out to a contracting company in 2007 and took a stand against the contracting company.
“The fundamental issue is that there are workers who have worked at the old-age home for more than 20 years without pension benefits,” says Sekhitla.
Ludwig Zühlsdorff, Rus ‘n Bietjie manager, agrees that the cleaners and care-workers are not happy about the contracting company.
“It was an illegal strike and the no work no pay rule applies. However, management will discuss the issues and try to resolve them accordingly,” he says.
Pieter Naude, owner of the contracting company, agreed to a second salary increase within six months.
The workers received a 7% salary increase in September 2015.
“As a contractor, we can only approve a salary increase once our client, in this case the old-age home, informs us what they can afford,” he says.
Monica Moshesh (46) a shop steward, says they are not satisfied with the services of their contracting company and would like to report directly to the old-age home.
The strike was peaceful and the workers had no intention of hurting the residents or damaging the property.
