Parliamentary staff suspend strike action
Parliamentary staff on Wednesday temporarily suspended their strike action as the National Education and Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) pledged to intervene in the impasse between workers and the legislature's management.
The workers gathered at a church near the parliamentary precinct to discuss the way forward following Tuesday's suspensions of two workers, Sthembiso Tembe and Michael Sithole.
Tembe is the Nehawu parliamentary branch chairman.
"They suspended me and charged me officially yesterday. They say I disrupted [secretary to Parliament Gengezi] Mgidlana's meeting and then that is tantamount to gross misconduct, insubordination, inciting the workers to walk out which is nothing. It's a farce," Tembe told African News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday
The suspensions follow a staff meeting last week. Workers walked out of the meeting called by Mgidlana.
"When Mgidlana called that meeting we said the agenda that you have put does not address the concerns of the workers, for instance the staff members of Parliament have decided that they are not going to sign performance contracts," said Tembe.
"They are not going to participate in the performance assessment because there are still outstanding issues of employees that were not paid."
Problems around peformance assessments and various other issues were still outstanding following last year's strike action which brought the national legislature to a standstill. That strike was over performance bonus calculations.
Tembe said the regional and provincial leadership of Nehawu would now intervene in the latest dispute.
"We suspended the strike action pending the interventions that are expected to take place," said Tembe.
"There will be a meeting in Parliament between people to discuss our situation. If still after that meeting there is no resolution and they still maintain that they suspend us then we'll go on strike."
Responding to Wednesday's industrial action, Parliament said it was concerned as the union gave the legislature no notice, making it an unprotected strike.
"Parliament is by law regarded as an essential service," the statement from Parliament said.
The legislature also confirmed the suspensions of the workers, saying disciplinary hearings would be held, though it did not specify a date.
"The suspension of the officials does not suggest that they are guilty of the charges against them. They remain employees of Parliament and continue to receive their usual remuneration pending the outcome of internal disciplinary processes." - ANA