‘Workers not to blame for Denel financial crisis'

Unions Limusa, UASA, Solidarity and Numsa picketed at the Denel premises in Centurion on Wednesday.

The unions’ demands include that salaries be paid on time, a guarantee that salaries will be paid for the remainder of the year as well as a 13th cheque for workers.

“Why all the time when there is a problem in Denel you must cut the people? The executive must be held accountable, for the decisions that have put the workers where they are now.

"Root out all corruption, you do the skills and qualifications audit, it cannot be that the problem in Denel is the people,”  Limusa’s Zamile Mzimba told the marchers.

Denel was plunged into a financial crisis after years of corruption and mismanagement.

The company has since been in talks with the various unions discussing salary cuts, severance packages, short time and possible retrenchments.  

Unions have also called on Minsters of Public Enterprises and Finance, Pravhin Gordhan and Tito Mboweni, to step in and remedy the situation.

"We would ask the finance minister to give us an allocation as Denel and if needs be, the treasury must provide an oversight on the money that is given to Denel, because our executives have a tendency of not using money properly. Our members want a guarantee that they will get paid this month,” adds Mzimba.

Meanwhile, Solidarity says the uncertainty over salaries is putting a massive strain on workers.   

Willie Venter, Solidarity’s Sector Coordinator for Defense and Aviation, says cutting back on worker salaries is not a solution.

He said the issue needs to be taken to a much higher level which may include bringing back a strategic plan for Denel.