The Solidarity trade union announced on Wednesday that it had submitted warrants of execution, worth some R90-million, against State-owned defence industrial group Denel, to the sheriff of the court. This followed Denel’s failure to abide by a Labour Court order and pay, by March 8, union members in its employ a total of R90-million in back salaries.
“What Denel is currently doing amounts to a total failure to fulfil its duties right across the board: decision-making is slow, implementation hardly ever takes place, and where decisions are made and people want to implement them, the necessary funds are not mobilised,” affirmed Solidarity defence and aviation sector coordinator Derek Mans. “It is a crying shame that we have to constantly approach the courts to force Denel to start doing the right thing with the necessary funds and as soon as possible. If we don’t do so, the future of our members is at risk.”
While the union recognised that the company was under financial stress, it rejected the notion that Denel did not have the means to pay its workers. Solidarity argued that the funds that Denel did have should be “mobilised and prioritised” to pay its workers, some of whom had gone for two years without being paid their full, or indeed any, salaries. If Denel did not do so, it could be accused of deliberate contempt of a court order.
“It is unacceptable that ordinary workers have to forfeit their livelihoods simply because of the ineptitude and incompetence of this company’s top management,” he asserted. “This is intolerable and must be opposed. If Denel does not want to pay, we will have its assets seized. After all, Denel has already taken away too much from our members."