https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Union slams judge in Telkom retrenchment case

31st August 2016

By: News24Wire

  

Font size: - +

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has cried foul over a damning labour court ruling handed down against it on Tuesday.

The Johannesburg Labour Court’s Judge AJ Snyman on Tuesday struck down the CWU’s bid to interdict Telkom from completing a restructuring process.

CWU's urgent application - brought to the court on August 1 2016 - sought to interdict Telkom from completing a Section 189 retrenchment process.

And in the judgment handed down Tuesday, Judge Snyman criticised CWU for its failure to consult in good faith, saying the union refused to consult with Telkom on 15 different occasions.

The court further ruled that CWU’s “attitude was confrontational and its approach obstructive” and that it resorted to “point taking and placing obstacles” in the way of the process.

But CWU President Clyde Mervin – speaking to journalists at the Johannesburg Labour Court on Wednesday – briefly hit out at the Telkom ruling.

"That judge, by the way from the start, the judge was against the union based on the discussions which were there,” Mervin said.

"But we are not despair[ing]. We are going to continue fighting and in actual fact today we told Telkom, that judgment doesn't mean we are not going to engage in a professional manner,” said Mervin.

Mervin said the union was still studying the judgment and planned to comment further on it on Wednesday.

TENSE TELKOM STRIKE
The Johannesburg Labour Court’s handing down of the judgment on Tuesday further came amid a tense strike being held against Telkom.

For around four weeks, hundreds of Telkom workers have been on a CWU led strike.

The striking workers want an 11% salary increase, six months maternity leave, gainsharing, bridging the ‘apartheid wage gap’ and a three year moratorium on retrenchments and outsourcing.

Yet, allegations of CWU’s intimidation against non-striking workers and alleged sabotage of Telkom’s network have dogged the strike.

On Tuesday, Telkom further accused striking CWU members of sabotaging its network in Limpopo, resulting in over 50 000 customers being hit with connectivity problems.

However, CWU’s Mervin told journalists that while the union is “radical and militant”, they’ve been “engaging professionally” in the Telkom strike.

"We want to put on record, the sabotage in Limpopo, they must not blame on Communication Workers Union. There is no evidence to that effect that it is Communication Workers Union,” said Mervin.

"All the sabotage so far, there is no evidence that it is the Communication Workers Union. For now, our members are on a lawful strike,” Mervin added.

Edited by News24Wire

Comments

Latest News

An image showing a group of selected learners who are part of the City of Cape Town and the NBI's artisan skills development programme
City of Cape Town, NBI partner on artisan skills development programme
Updated 26 minutes ago By: Tasneem Bulbulia
Rand South African flag
Rand slips ahead of CPI, central bank meetings
18th March 2024 By: Reuters

Showroom

Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (15/03/2024)
15th March 2024 By: Martin Creamer

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.077 0.129s - 168pq - 6rq
Subscribe Now