Protesting cleaners suspended
Domestic contract workers join in on the strike season demanding their wages should be more than tripled
TEN of the 50 industrial domestic workers who embarked on an illegal strike outside BHP Billiton’s Hillside Aluminium Smelter last Tuesday, have been suspended by their employer, Bidvest Prestige Group.
More than 50 employees of the cleaning services company, contracted to the local BHP Billiton plant, downed tools to demand that their monthly wages be more than tripled.
But according to Bidvest Prestige Executive Manager, Antoinette van der Merwe, only 10 of the staff were disciplined for refusing to participate in the legal procedures.
‘The majority of the group is willing to cooperate and we are meeting them and their union representatives in Richards Bay this afternoon (Friday) to find an amicable solution,’ said Van der Merwe.
‘Our wages are negotiated at bargaining counsel level and we have met with the cleaners and their representatives to explain this.
‘We act according to the Labour Relations Act and communicated with the employees and their representatives to inform them that this was an unprotected strike,’ she said.
Despite working in the cleaning industry, protestors asked to be represented by the National Union of Metalworkers South Africa (Numsa).
‘Regardless of the industry they work in, workers have the right to join any union they want,’ said Numsa’s local organiser, Bongani Sibiya.
Van der Merwe said the company did not reject Numsa as their employees’ union.
BHP Billiton stated that while they were not directly involved in deliberations between Bidvest Prestige and its staff, the aluminium producer will support discussions to help resolve the matter.
