Trade union Solidarity has criticised the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) for continuing with a restructuring process, which the union claims results in employees being demoted, without consulting with Solidarity about the process.
Solidarity energy industry head Deon Reyneke said Necsa indicated in 2012 that it was likely to start a restructuring process, whereupon Solidarity requested the corporation to provide the trade union with the necessary information about the process.
“Necsa’s divisional executives undertook to communicate their proposals regarding the restructuring to trade unions by December 2014. To date, Solidarity hasn’t received any information and it has not been consulted about the process at all, while the corporation is, nevertheless, continuing with the restructuring process,” Reyneke noted.
He added that a continuation of the process is in violation of the collective agreement between Necsa and organised labour.
“Under the agreement, which is underpinned by Section 23 of the Labour Relations Act, the corporation has to consult with trade unions before any restructuring process may be initiated by management,” Reyneke said.
He added that Solidarity had already cautioned Necsa in writing to stall the process but the corporation “simply ignored it”.
“We have already received many complaints from irate members who are negatively affected by the process. We will continue to pressure Necsa until it agrees to consult with Solidarity on the process,” he added.
Solidarity represents about 300 members at Necsa.
Necsa had not responded to questions posed by Engineering News Online by the time of publishing.