lol - I can see this
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: How do you normally pay for purchases in stores?
Parliament workers go on strike
- Thread starter schumi
- Start date
lol - I can see this
Nehawu, Parliament battle to resolve issues
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Representatives of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) and Parliament's management will meet again on Thursday morning, with the union vowing that its strike will continue until members' demands are met.
"The status quo remains; there was no agreement last night. We will meet with the management again at around 10:00 today [Thursday]. The strike continues,” said a text message to News24 from Sthembiso Tembe, chairperson of Parliament's branch of the Nehawu.
The union's president Mzwandile Makwayiba is also understood to be jetting in to Cape Town for Thursday's talks.
Nehawu members had already started gathering inside the precinct early on Thursday morning.
This is in spite of warnings that striking employees' pay will be docked, and two interdicts preventing protests in the precinct in the heart of the Cape Town CBD.
The interdicts do not lock workers out but they prevent what Parliament's management see as disruptive protests.
Both parties hoped to resolve a dispute over Nehawu wanting to renegotiate a clause of a two-year labour agreement at a meeting on Wednesday night.
Researcher detained
The meeting followed the brief detention of Sonwabile Ngxiza, a researcher and content specialist in the Deputy Speaker's office, when police charged at protesters to stop them from entering the National Council of Provinces building which adjoins the National Assembly.
Parliament's secretary Gengezi Mgidlana said the protesters had violated the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act by disrupting committees and stopping the work of Parliament.
Speaker Baleka Mbete had called the police to the precinct, he said.
As protesters were being pushed away from the steps and stun grenades boomed, they shouted: "We work here!"
Mgidlana said they had simply downed tools in Friday in a bid to reopen the clause in the agreement over performance bonuses. In the current agreement, performance bonuses are calculated on a cost-to-company formula. They want to revisit this but Parliament says they must wait for the 2017 negotiations to open.
Mgidlana said Parliament is also a National Key Point, hence the police action.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/nehawu-parliament-battle-to-resolve-issues-20151112
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Representatives of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) and Parliament's management will meet again on Thursday morning, with the union vowing that its strike will continue until members' demands are met.
"The status quo remains; there was no agreement last night. We will meet with the management again at around 10:00 today [Thursday]. The strike continues,” said a text message to News24 from Sthembiso Tembe, chairperson of Parliament's branch of the Nehawu.
The union's president Mzwandile Makwayiba is also understood to be jetting in to Cape Town for Thursday's talks.
Nehawu members had already started gathering inside the precinct early on Thursday morning.
This is in spite of warnings that striking employees' pay will be docked, and two interdicts preventing protests in the precinct in the heart of the Cape Town CBD.
The interdicts do not lock workers out but they prevent what Parliament's management see as disruptive protests.
Both parties hoped to resolve a dispute over Nehawu wanting to renegotiate a clause of a two-year labour agreement at a meeting on Wednesday night.
Researcher detained
The meeting followed the brief detention of Sonwabile Ngxiza, a researcher and content specialist in the Deputy Speaker's office, when police charged at protesters to stop them from entering the National Council of Provinces building which adjoins the National Assembly.
Parliament's secretary Gengezi Mgidlana said the protesters had violated the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act by disrupting committees and stopping the work of Parliament.
Speaker Baleka Mbete had called the police to the precinct, he said.
As protesters were being pushed away from the steps and stun grenades boomed, they shouted: "We work here!"
Mgidlana said they had simply downed tools in Friday in a bid to reopen the clause in the agreement over performance bonuses. In the current agreement, performance bonuses are calculated on a cost-to-company formula. They want to revisit this but Parliament says they must wait for the 2017 negotiations to open.
Mgidlana said Parliament is also a National Key Point, hence the police action.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/nehawu-parliament-battle-to-resolve-issues-20151112
darkknightlives
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Messages
- 147
- Reaction score
- 0
Strike capital of the world what a joke
Parliamentary staff strike reveal distrust in Mgidlana
More at http://ewn.co.za/2015/11/12/Parliamentary-staff-reveal-distrust-of-secretary
More at http://ewn.co.za/2015/11/12/Parliamentary-staff-reveal-distrust-of-secretary
No money for new bonuses - Parliament
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament would need an extra R50m if it agreed to pay performance bonuses at the level that National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members were demanding, secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana said on Thursday.
“We don't have the money,” said Mgidlana during a break in negotiations to end the strike by several hundred employees at the precinct.
The bone of contention was that employees want payment for bonuses to be based on 12 months' salary, not on a month's salary.
Parliament and Nehawu had already agreed that there would be an increase from 70% to 100% of the monthly salary for performance bonuses, he said. But Nehawu had changed its mind and wanted the 12-month structure.
Nehawu has now put its “proposal” in writing. He said Parliament simply had not budgeted for the additional expense should they give in to workers' demands. Mgidlana went on to say that some posts were already frozen to save money.
He denied that the 2010 interdict that Parliament revived on Tuesday was invalid, after workers said they had used an invalid interdict for Speaker Baleka Mbete to call the police on them.
He said only a court could decide if the 2010 interdict was invalid.
The second interdict obtained on Wednesday was to drive home the point of the first interdict, he said.
On Wednesday employees were driven away from the steps of the National Council of Provinces building with stun grenades, with Sonwabile Ngxiza, researcher to Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli, temporarily detained.
Mgidlana confirmed that employees on strike would have their pay docked, saying this was in line with the Labour Relations Act.
He said Parliament had written this law, so Parliament had a duty to abide by it.
He responded to a question regarding some striking employees calling for his removal, saying he was not in a “popularity contest” and would prefer to be judged on his work.
Another employee complaint was that parliament could find money for a new vetting process, but not for their increases.
He said the vetting process did not cost anything because it was done by the State Security Agency.
The vetting was because some staffers were complaining about others not being vetted. He added that security vetting also lapsed after a period and was customarily done again.
Meanwhile, committees and a National Assembly sitting went ahead uninterrupted, he said.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/no-money-for-new-bonuses-parliament-20151112
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament would need an extra R50m if it agreed to pay performance bonuses at the level that National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members were demanding, secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana said on Thursday.
“We don't have the money,” said Mgidlana during a break in negotiations to end the strike by several hundred employees at the precinct.
The bone of contention was that employees want payment for bonuses to be based on 12 months' salary, not on a month's salary.
Parliament and Nehawu had already agreed that there would be an increase from 70% to 100% of the monthly salary for performance bonuses, he said. But Nehawu had changed its mind and wanted the 12-month structure.
Nehawu has now put its “proposal” in writing. He said Parliament simply had not budgeted for the additional expense should they give in to workers' demands. Mgidlana went on to say that some posts were already frozen to save money.
He denied that the 2010 interdict that Parliament revived on Tuesday was invalid, after workers said they had used an invalid interdict for Speaker Baleka Mbete to call the police on them.
He said only a court could decide if the 2010 interdict was invalid.
The second interdict obtained on Wednesday was to drive home the point of the first interdict, he said.
On Wednesday employees were driven away from the steps of the National Council of Provinces building with stun grenades, with Sonwabile Ngxiza, researcher to Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli, temporarily detained.
Mgidlana confirmed that employees on strike would have their pay docked, saying this was in line with the Labour Relations Act.
He said Parliament had written this law, so Parliament had a duty to abide by it.
He responded to a question regarding some striking employees calling for his removal, saying he was not in a “popularity contest” and would prefer to be judged on his work.
Another employee complaint was that parliament could find money for a new vetting process, but not for their increases.
He said the vetting process did not cost anything because it was done by the State Security Agency.
The vetting was because some staffers were complaining about others not being vetted. He added that security vetting also lapsed after a period and was customarily done again.
Meanwhile, committees and a National Assembly sitting went ahead uninterrupted, he said.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/no-money-for-new-bonuses-parliament-20151112
HavocXphere
Honorary Master
Pretty sure thats not how government finances work...secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana said:
grok
Honorary Master
“We don’t know if they are going to decide to be violent against us.”
Shame, poor parliamentarians having to endure what the ANC frequently unleash on the public. ****em, be scared, taste your own medicine for a change.
Shame, poor parliamentarians having to endure what the ANC frequently unleash on the public. ****em, be scared, taste your own medicine for a change.
The struggle continues, Nehawu in Parliament says
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) showed no signs of letting up as it kicked off a fifth day of striking with rousing song inside the mahogany-lined old National Assembly building on Friday.
''The struggle continues,'' Disang Mocumi, Nehawu's deputy chairperson at Parliament, told employees who were holding up holding A4 papers that read ''Injure one Injure All".
Mocumi said their managers had tried to intimidate them, had deducted money from their pay, and had set the police on them.
''It didn't work,'' he said, as a handful of policeman were seen around the precinct while business continued.
The employees perform a wide range of functions from cleaning and catering to seeing to the smooth running of the various committee meetings, as well as access control at the visitors' centre.
They have been on strike since last week Friday. Parliament believes they are acting illegally because Parliament is considered an essential service - a sector not permitted to strike.
A formal dispute was also not lodged ahead of the strike, which Nehawu has acknowledged.
Mocumi accused Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana of distorting facts by saying they were making new pay demands.
This was untrue and making them look unreasonable, he said after Mgidlana told media on Thursday that Parliament did not have the R50m it would cost to pay bonuses to the scale employees wanted.
Their issues related to interpretations of the agreement for the 2014/15 financial period, specifically how performance bonuses are calculated.
''The 2014/15 was signed in March, and our dispute over performance bonuses emanates from that,'' he said.
''They are portraying us as bringing a new demand and so we will clarify the lies in the media with a media briefing at 10:30,'' he said.
He noted complaints that not everybody had had pay docked and viewed this is a dividing tactic.
Nehawu, which will be holding its Western Cape conference this weekend, has also indicated it will not stop its strike unless the deductions were reversed.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/the-struggle-continues-nehawu-in-parliament-says-20151113
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) showed no signs of letting up as it kicked off a fifth day of striking with rousing song inside the mahogany-lined old National Assembly building on Friday.
''The struggle continues,'' Disang Mocumi, Nehawu's deputy chairperson at Parliament, told employees who were holding up holding A4 papers that read ''Injure one Injure All".
Mocumi said their managers had tried to intimidate them, had deducted money from their pay, and had set the police on them.
''It didn't work,'' he said, as a handful of policeman were seen around the precinct while business continued.
The employees perform a wide range of functions from cleaning and catering to seeing to the smooth running of the various committee meetings, as well as access control at the visitors' centre.
They have been on strike since last week Friday. Parliament believes they are acting illegally because Parliament is considered an essential service - a sector not permitted to strike.
A formal dispute was also not lodged ahead of the strike, which Nehawu has acknowledged.
Mocumi accused Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana of distorting facts by saying they were making new pay demands.
This was untrue and making them look unreasonable, he said after Mgidlana told media on Thursday that Parliament did not have the R50m it would cost to pay bonuses to the scale employees wanted.
Their issues related to interpretations of the agreement for the 2014/15 financial period, specifically how performance bonuses are calculated.
''The 2014/15 was signed in March, and our dispute over performance bonuses emanates from that,'' he said.
''They are portraying us as bringing a new demand and so we will clarify the lies in the media with a media briefing at 10:30,'' he said.
He noted complaints that not everybody had had pay docked and viewed this is a dividing tactic.
Nehawu, which will be holding its Western Cape conference this weekend, has also indicated it will not stop its strike unless the deductions were reversed.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/the-struggle-continues-nehawu-in-parliament-says-20151113
Nehawu walks out of Parliament talks until salary deductions paid back
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament's protesting employees will not negotiate with management until money taken off their salaries for days missed during the strike is paid back.
Sthembiso Tembe, the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) chairperson of the branch in Parliament, said on Friday the Basic Conditions of Employment Act sets out a process that should end with a guilty verdict in a disciplinary hearing before money can be deducted.
Until the support staff for the country's lawmakers get their money back, they refuse to be part of any further negotiations to bring full service back to Parliament.
Some employees had had as much as R4 000 and R6 000 docked from their pay, which they receive mid-minth.
On Thursday Parliament's secretary, Gengezi Mgidlana, said the deductions were in line with legislation, and that Parliament was obliged to enforce the laws it passed.
He said the striking employees had not declared a formal dispute over how performance bonuses would be calculated - they just did not report for work and went outside to protest, which meant they were on strike.
Suspicious of security vetting process
But Tembe said there had been no consistency nor an attempt at establishing who had been off sick, or writing exams.
Members were also suspicious of a new security vetting process for everybody and refused to be a part of it, fearing their information would land in the wrong hands.
They understood that vetting was only done if a period of 10 years had lapsed, but people who had only been working at the precinct for two years were told they had to be vetted again.
The core issue for Nehawu and Parliament is whether performance bonuses should be calculated as a percentage of a month's pay, which is Parliament's interpretation of a clause in the 2014/15 agreement, or the employees' view that they agreed for it to be based on their total cost to company package over a year.
They have already secured a 9% increase they felt would close the gap between the highest and lowest paid, but were dismayed that Mgidlana had also received this, claiming his salary was already huge.
Employees in various positions on the precinct downed tools on November 6 and have been protesting loudlyin the parliamentary precinct this week.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ks-until-salary-deductions-paid-back-20151113
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament's protesting employees will not negotiate with management until money taken off their salaries for days missed during the strike is paid back.
Sthembiso Tembe, the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) chairperson of the branch in Parliament, said on Friday the Basic Conditions of Employment Act sets out a process that should end with a guilty verdict in a disciplinary hearing before money can be deducted.
Until the support staff for the country's lawmakers get their money back, they refuse to be part of any further negotiations to bring full service back to Parliament.
Some employees had had as much as R4 000 and R6 000 docked from their pay, which they receive mid-minth.
On Thursday Parliament's secretary, Gengezi Mgidlana, said the deductions were in line with legislation, and that Parliament was obliged to enforce the laws it passed.
He said the striking employees had not declared a formal dispute over how performance bonuses would be calculated - they just did not report for work and went outside to protest, which meant they were on strike.
Suspicious of security vetting process
But Tembe said there had been no consistency nor an attempt at establishing who had been off sick, or writing exams.
Members were also suspicious of a new security vetting process for everybody and refused to be a part of it, fearing their information would land in the wrong hands.
They understood that vetting was only done if a period of 10 years had lapsed, but people who had only been working at the precinct for two years were told they had to be vetted again.
The core issue for Nehawu and Parliament is whether performance bonuses should be calculated as a percentage of a month's pay, which is Parliament's interpretation of a clause in the 2014/15 agreement, or the employees' view that they agreed for it to be based on their total cost to company package over a year.
They have already secured a 9% increase they felt would close the gap between the highest and lowest paid, but were dismayed that Mgidlana had also received this, claiming his salary was already huge.
Employees in various positions on the precinct downed tools on November 6 and have been protesting loudlyin the parliamentary precinct this week.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ks-until-salary-deductions-paid-back-20151113
daveza
Honorary Master
Hello ! That's what happens when you don't work !
No money to meet protesters' demands – Parliament
Tammy Petersen, News24
Cape Town - The financial implications of agreeing to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) demands are unbudgeted for and unaffordable for Parliament given the shoestring budget it is managing, a parliamentary spokesperson said on Sunday.
In a statement, a spokesperson said Parliament “is committed to continuing discussions” with the union to “resolve the impasse which has seen the union embark on an illegal strike last week”.
The employees, who perform a wide range of functions from cleaning and catering to seeing to the smooth running of the various committee meetings as well as access control at the visitors' centre, have been on strike since last week Friday.
Parliament believes they are acting illegally because Parliament is considered an essential service - a sector not permitted to strike.
A formal dispute was also not lodged ahead of the strike, which Nehawu has acknowledged.
According to the Parliament statement, the main disagreement between the two parties “resulted from a new proposal by the union to change the calculated payment of performance bonuses for staff members based on a monthly remuneration of total cost to company to an annual total package”.
No extra funds
“Parliament and Nehawu signed a two-year agreement which stipulates the calculation of performance bonuses to be done on the basis of the total monthly cost of employment as opposed to the previous 70% pensionable portion,” the statement reads.
According to Parliament, Nehawu proposed late in October a further review of the formula to use the total annual package.
“This effectively amounted to a new proposal without following due process as contemplated in the substantive and the recognition agreement.
“In any event, the financial implications of this proposal are unbudgeted for and unaffordable for Parliament given the shoestring budget we are managing. Parliament believes that both parties must commit to the deliberations on finding a resolution.
“The perspective that the union must demand and management must deliver is based on a win-lose mentality. In this instance it provides an unhelpful approach that the union must demand and management on its own must provide a solution.”
According to the statement, there are no extra funds to meet protesters demands as “Parliament, like the rest of the country, is going through a difficult financial experience”.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/no-money-to-meet-protesters-demands-parliament-20151115
Tammy Petersen, News24
Cape Town - The financial implications of agreeing to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) demands are unbudgeted for and unaffordable for Parliament given the shoestring budget it is managing, a parliamentary spokesperson said on Sunday.
In a statement, a spokesperson said Parliament “is committed to continuing discussions” with the union to “resolve the impasse which has seen the union embark on an illegal strike last week”.
The employees, who perform a wide range of functions from cleaning and catering to seeing to the smooth running of the various committee meetings as well as access control at the visitors' centre, have been on strike since last week Friday.
Parliament believes they are acting illegally because Parliament is considered an essential service - a sector not permitted to strike.
A formal dispute was also not lodged ahead of the strike, which Nehawu has acknowledged.
According to the Parliament statement, the main disagreement between the two parties “resulted from a new proposal by the union to change the calculated payment of performance bonuses for staff members based on a monthly remuneration of total cost to company to an annual total package”.
No extra funds
“Parliament and Nehawu signed a two-year agreement which stipulates the calculation of performance bonuses to be done on the basis of the total monthly cost of employment as opposed to the previous 70% pensionable portion,” the statement reads.
According to Parliament, Nehawu proposed late in October a further review of the formula to use the total annual package.
“This effectively amounted to a new proposal without following due process as contemplated in the substantive and the recognition agreement.
“In any event, the financial implications of this proposal are unbudgeted for and unaffordable for Parliament given the shoestring budget we are managing. Parliament believes that both parties must commit to the deliberations on finding a resolution.
“The perspective that the union must demand and management must deliver is based on a win-lose mentality. In this instance it provides an unhelpful approach that the union must demand and management on its own must provide a solution.”
According to the statement, there are no extra funds to meet protesters demands as “Parliament, like the rest of the country, is going through a difficult financial experience”.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/no-money-to-meet-protesters-demands-parliament-20151115
Nehawu, Parliament management to meet over strike
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Leaders from the Parliament branch of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) were expected to meet the institution's management at noon on Tuesday in the hope of getting closer to ending a strike.
Nehawu branch chairperson Sthembiso Tembe told a less vocal gathering in the old National Assembly chamber that a framework document setting out exactly what had to be done to end the strike had been prepared and would be discussed at the meeting.
The union's regional and national leadership had been assisting as staffers and Parliament's management continued disagreeing over the formula to be used to calculate bonuses.
Each interprets the words “total package” differently - with Nehawu believing it should be calculated over a year's package and Parliament over a month's package.
Compared with last week's relentless singing, dancing and clapping in the precinct, Tuesday's meeting was subdued, becoming animated only when Parliament's secretary Gengezi Mgidlana's name was mentioned.
Mgidlana has already said Parliament cannot afford the R50m which he said would be needed to pay the bonuses on the Nehawu formula and justified last week's calling of police to remove protesters by saying the institution had to abide by the laws it passed.
He said Nehawu had gone on strike without following legally-prescribed procedures.
Nehawu was also that upset some workers had had their pay docked for days they were on strike.
Although non-striking staff tried to cover the jobs usually done by their colleagues, the strike had a noticeable impact on the business of Parliament.
A committee meeting to finalise a report on amendments to the disaster management amendment bill was delayed as chairperson Richard Madlakane waited for the six members required to make a quorum. MPs had taken longer than usual to get through checkpoints.
MPs usually work through the day during committee meetings, only taking one or two quick comfort breaks with the selection of nuts and yoghurts and the water keeping them going.
Monday's storms in Gauteng also had the knock-on effect of delaying some flights to Cape Town.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Madlakane said the Act itself was already implemented and operational so the impact of not finalising the report immediately would not have a direct negative effect.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/nehawu-strike-continues-at-parliament-20151117
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Leaders from the Parliament branch of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) were expected to meet the institution's management at noon on Tuesday in the hope of getting closer to ending a strike.
Nehawu branch chairperson Sthembiso Tembe told a less vocal gathering in the old National Assembly chamber that a framework document setting out exactly what had to be done to end the strike had been prepared and would be discussed at the meeting.
The union's regional and national leadership had been assisting as staffers and Parliament's management continued disagreeing over the formula to be used to calculate bonuses.
Each interprets the words “total package” differently - with Nehawu believing it should be calculated over a year's package and Parliament over a month's package.
Compared with last week's relentless singing, dancing and clapping in the precinct, Tuesday's meeting was subdued, becoming animated only when Parliament's secretary Gengezi Mgidlana's name was mentioned.
Mgidlana has already said Parliament cannot afford the R50m which he said would be needed to pay the bonuses on the Nehawu formula and justified last week's calling of police to remove protesters by saying the institution had to abide by the laws it passed.
He said Nehawu had gone on strike without following legally-prescribed procedures.
Nehawu was also that upset some workers had had their pay docked for days they were on strike.
Although non-striking staff tried to cover the jobs usually done by their colleagues, the strike had a noticeable impact on the business of Parliament.
A committee meeting to finalise a report on amendments to the disaster management amendment bill was delayed as chairperson Richard Madlakane waited for the six members required to make a quorum. MPs had taken longer than usual to get through checkpoints.
MPs usually work through the day during committee meetings, only taking one or two quick comfort breaks with the selection of nuts and yoghurts and the water keeping them going.
Monday's storms in Gauteng also had the knock-on effect of delaying some flights to Cape Town.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Madlakane said the Act itself was already implemented and operational so the impact of not finalising the report immediately would not have a direct negative effect.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/nehawu-strike-continues-at-parliament-20151117
ANC Western Cape supports Nehawu strike
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament had reneged on its agreement with workers who were now striking, ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Faeiz Jacobs told the striking National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members at Parliament on Tuesday.
“Let me say upfront the [ANC] supports this strike,” Jacobs told Nehawu workers gathered in Parliament's old assembly chamber for feedback on negotiations.
“Without knowing all the issues, comrades, to me it is quite clear management is reneging on the negotiations they had with workers.”
He said their strike with Parliament's management, including speaker and ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete and secretary Gengezi Mgidlana, was “very close to home” referring to Nehawu's political alliance with the ANC.
A former Nehawu shop steward, Jacobs said: “We are going to use the political power we have to talk to our leaders that we find a solution.”
He said the strike should have already ended, but egos and personalities could be at play.
“I suspect there's some egos involved here. I suspect there's some personalities involved here. We are going to call on management to come to the party to deal with the substantive issues.
“The issue is there is reneging of a deal on the table,” he said to approval.
With December around the corner, staff members want the bonus issue resolved quickly. They want their bonuses to be calculated over a 12-month total package and not on a month's package as Parliament has interpreted an agreement reached earlier this year.
Some have already complained they have had pay docked for not being at their posts.
“It's in these hallowed chambers we created the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. It's in these chambers we fought for employment equity. It wasn't free - workers fought for it,” Jacobs said.
He said he came to tell people the ANC still had leaders, “who understand the democracy of workers starts in the stomach” and the “mother body” could not close its doors on workers.
However, he sailed too close to the edge when he assumed he was speaking to a full house for the ANC.
“You are not only workers here. You are ANC members,” Jacobs said nearing the end of his speech.
“You are ANC members right?”
A hesitant “yes” went back to him from some in the room, but nervous laughter and chatter cut into his final words.
“The [EFF] are here. The [DA] are here,” said one person from the back of the room.
However, his statement “we need to ensure, when the strike is resolved, whether you are in an ANC caucus or not, we can call on you for the ANC's campaign” raised the volume of the restrained chatter with one woman saying: “Haai, no way. Now you are failing.”
The ANC was pulling out all the stops to recoup the Western Cape from the DA in the next national general elections.
Simultaneously, the traditional bonds between the ANC, the Cosatu and the South African Communist Party were being tested as sections of the union movement became more outspoken against the ANC.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/anc-western-cape-supports-nehawu-strike-20151117
Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament had reneged on its agreement with workers who were now striking, ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Faeiz Jacobs told the striking National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members at Parliament on Tuesday.
“Let me say upfront the [ANC] supports this strike,” Jacobs told Nehawu workers gathered in Parliament's old assembly chamber for feedback on negotiations.
“Without knowing all the issues, comrades, to me it is quite clear management is reneging on the negotiations they had with workers.”
He said their strike with Parliament's management, including speaker and ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete and secretary Gengezi Mgidlana, was “very close to home” referring to Nehawu's political alliance with the ANC.
A former Nehawu shop steward, Jacobs said: “We are going to use the political power we have to talk to our leaders that we find a solution.”
He said the strike should have already ended, but egos and personalities could be at play.
“I suspect there's some egos involved here. I suspect there's some personalities involved here. We are going to call on management to come to the party to deal with the substantive issues.
“The issue is there is reneging of a deal on the table,” he said to approval.
With December around the corner, staff members want the bonus issue resolved quickly. They want their bonuses to be calculated over a 12-month total package and not on a month's package as Parliament has interpreted an agreement reached earlier this year.
Some have already complained they have had pay docked for not being at their posts.
“It's in these hallowed chambers we created the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. It's in these chambers we fought for employment equity. It wasn't free - workers fought for it,” Jacobs said.
He said he came to tell people the ANC still had leaders, “who understand the democracy of workers starts in the stomach” and the “mother body” could not close its doors on workers.
However, he sailed too close to the edge when he assumed he was speaking to a full house for the ANC.
“You are not only workers here. You are ANC members,” Jacobs said nearing the end of his speech.
“You are ANC members right?”
A hesitant “yes” went back to him from some in the room, but nervous laughter and chatter cut into his final words.
“The [EFF] are here. The [DA] are here,” said one person from the back of the room.
However, his statement “we need to ensure, when the strike is resolved, whether you are in an ANC caucus or not, we can call on you for the ANC's campaign” raised the volume of the restrained chatter with one woman saying: “Haai, no way. Now you are failing.”
The ANC was pulling out all the stops to recoup the Western Cape from the DA in the next national general elections.
Simultaneously, the traditional bonds between the ANC, the Cosatu and the South African Communist Party were being tested as sections of the union movement became more outspoken against the ANC.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/anc-western-cape-supports-nehawu-strike-20151117
It's back to work for striking Parliament employees
Thulani Gqirana and Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament has in principle agreed to pay striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) bonuses based on their annual package.
However, it would be up to a task team consisting of Nehawu and Parliament management to calculate just how much this would cost the institution.
Parliament Nehawu-affiliated workers downed tools on November 6 calling for a review of the bonus payment structure.
On Tuesday, they got what they wanted when the institution opened up discussions on the matter.
The protesters would return to work on Wednesday.
Parliament secretary Gengezi Mgidlana said the union and the institution had found a win-win solution.
“In principle, both parties agree to work towards an understanding the performance bonus is on an annual basis,” he said quoting the agreement.
He said there would be a task team set up to look at how much this would cost.
“We would look at the modalities, taking into consideration the finances of Parliament, which means we should try in whatever we do to make sure we don’t move outside of the parameters that are there. The answers there need to be found by this team, which we hope would give us more enlightenment.”
He said they would not be forfeiting any Parliament programmes to find the money, but the task team would have to find the solutions.
The striking workers would also get back their docked pay, but this was not to reimburse them, Mgidlana said.
He said the union had agreed their workers would work tirelessly once back at their posts to deal with any backlogs, including payment of service providers.
For this, they would not be paid any overtime, but would be paid the money deducted from their salaries.
Nehawu branch chairperson Sthembiso Tembe said a meeting on Friday would present the task team's work and the outcome would determine the permanent end to the strike.
Nehawu branch secretary Thabang Molusi said they had been proven right about the bonus and he felt it was important to stress ''the job is not done yet''.
"I don't think we should celebrate yet, but at least we should celebrate the work done today."
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/its-back-to-work-for-striking-parliament-employees-20151117
Thulani Gqirana and Jenni Evans, News24
Cape Town - Parliament has in principle agreed to pay striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) bonuses based on their annual package.
However, it would be up to a task team consisting of Nehawu and Parliament management to calculate just how much this would cost the institution.
Parliament Nehawu-affiliated workers downed tools on November 6 calling for a review of the bonus payment structure.
On Tuesday, they got what they wanted when the institution opened up discussions on the matter.
The protesters would return to work on Wednesday.
Parliament secretary Gengezi Mgidlana said the union and the institution had found a win-win solution.
“In principle, both parties agree to work towards an understanding the performance bonus is on an annual basis,” he said quoting the agreement.
He said there would be a task team set up to look at how much this would cost.
“We would look at the modalities, taking into consideration the finances of Parliament, which means we should try in whatever we do to make sure we don’t move outside of the parameters that are there. The answers there need to be found by this team, which we hope would give us more enlightenment.”
He said they would not be forfeiting any Parliament programmes to find the money, but the task team would have to find the solutions.
The striking workers would also get back their docked pay, but this was not to reimburse them, Mgidlana said.
He said the union had agreed their workers would work tirelessly once back at their posts to deal with any backlogs, including payment of service providers.
For this, they would not be paid any overtime, but would be paid the money deducted from their salaries.
Nehawu branch chairperson Sthembiso Tembe said a meeting on Friday would present the task team's work and the outcome would determine the permanent end to the strike.
Nehawu branch secretary Thabang Molusi said they had been proven right about the bonus and he felt it was important to stress ''the job is not done yet''.
"I don't think we should celebrate yet, but at least we should celebrate the work done today."
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/its-back-to-work-for-striking-parliament-employees-20151117
Parliament strike back on - Nehawu
Jenni Evans
Cape Town - The National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said on Friday that the strike at Parliament was back on after management failed to propose a percentage to calculate their performance bonuses, the union said.
"Comrades. The suspension [of the strike] is lifted. On Monday, we go full force on them,"said Nehawu branch chairperson Sthembiso Tembe.
"We will be withdrawing our services, we will be protesting in Parliament because there is no commitment on the part of management."
Nehawu said it was, however, told that there was R16.2m in the kitty for the bonuses, but without Parliament's proposal on which formula to use, nothing could be done.
He said they had brought their own proposed percentage for the calculations.
"We go back to square one," said Tembe.
After a meeting on November 6, Nehawu decided to go on strike over performance bonuses.
The strike was suspended on Tuesday after management conceded to the union's insistence that they had already agreed to pay the bonus based on a percentage of the total year's package.
Tembe said there would be no catering, communication, research or secretarial services until the matter was settled.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/parliament-strike-back-on-nehawu-20151120
Jenni Evans
Cape Town - The National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said on Friday that the strike at Parliament was back on after management failed to propose a percentage to calculate their performance bonuses, the union said.
"Comrades. The suspension [of the strike] is lifted. On Monday, we go full force on them,"said Nehawu branch chairperson Sthembiso Tembe.
"We will be withdrawing our services, we will be protesting in Parliament because there is no commitment on the part of management."
Nehawu said it was, however, told that there was R16.2m in the kitty for the bonuses, but without Parliament's proposal on which formula to use, nothing could be done.
He said they had brought their own proposed percentage for the calculations.
"We go back to square one," said Tembe.
After a meeting on November 6, Nehawu decided to go on strike over performance bonuses.
The strike was suspended on Tuesday after management conceded to the union's insistence that they had already agreed to pay the bonus based on a percentage of the total year's package.
Tembe said there would be no catering, communication, research or secretarial services until the matter was settled.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/parliament-strike-back-on-nehawu-20151120
Striking workers shut down Parliament
Thulani Gqirana, News24
Cape Town - Hundreds of striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) members brought Parliament to a standstill on Tuesday morning.
The workers resumed their strike on Monday, and on Tuesday vowed not to let Parliament get on with the business of the day until their demands were met.
They proceeded to shut down committees and the National Assembly.
The workers stormed committees including the agriculture meeting, where Minister Senzeni Zokwana and Deputy Minister Bheki Cele were giving a presentation on the drought in South Africa.
Singing, dancing and banging on tables, the workers apologised to members of Parliament and the two ministers for disturbing them.
“But we need to make sure no one works until we get our money. We are going to stay here until this meeting is closed,” they chanted.
An irate ANC MP, Mandla Mandela, told them they could not disrupt the business of committees, and their apology was not accepted.
The workers proceeded to the National Assembly, where they occupied the public gallery, singing for their demands to be met.
The House, which was due to sit from 10:00 until late, was adjourned until further notice before it even started. The striking workers remained in the House, just in case the MPs decided to reconvene.
The staff members are demanding a change in the performance bonus structure, among other things.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/striking-workers-shut-down-parliament-20151124
Thulani Gqirana, News24
Cape Town - Hundreds of striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) members brought Parliament to a standstill on Tuesday morning.
The workers resumed their strike on Monday, and on Tuesday vowed not to let Parliament get on with the business of the day until their demands were met.
They proceeded to shut down committees and the National Assembly.
The workers stormed committees including the agriculture meeting, where Minister Senzeni Zokwana and Deputy Minister Bheki Cele were giving a presentation on the drought in South Africa.
Singing, dancing and banging on tables, the workers apologised to members of Parliament and the two ministers for disturbing them.
“But we need to make sure no one works until we get our money. We are going to stay here until this meeting is closed,” they chanted.
An irate ANC MP, Mandla Mandela, told them they could not disrupt the business of committees, and their apology was not accepted.
The workers proceeded to the National Assembly, where they occupied the public gallery, singing for their demands to be met.
The House, which was due to sit from 10:00 until late, was adjourned until further notice before it even started. The striking workers remained in the House, just in case the MPs decided to reconvene.
The staff members are demanding a change in the performance bonus structure, among other things.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/striking-workers-shut-down-parliament-20151124
Parliament takes the gloves off in Nehawu strike
Jenni Evans
Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete vowed to crack down on striking Nehawu workers if they disrupted any of its business again after a sitting was abandoned when they burst into the House on Tuesday.
"Today they didn't just continue with the strike, they started to embark on the type of actions which... are totally unacceptable," said Mbete.
Parliamentary workers belonging to the National Education, Health and Aliied Workers' Union have been protesting over performance bonus calculations.
She threatened to call the police again as she did two weeks ago to stabilise the situation, with the hope that Parliament would be able to finish off its work.
President Jacob Zuma was also expected to have his last session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
"We are now saying, it's so far and no further."
She said striking workers went to committee rooms on Tuesday and threw food on the floor and broke crockery in the process. Mbete said she would not put up with it.
The carpet in front of where she was sitting for the briefing was smeared with a substance that looked like yoghurt.
'We have the power to call the police'
Tuesday's events came after Nehawu rejected Parliament's counter proposals for how the bonuses should be structured. Nehawu said it would intensify the strike as a result.
Mbete said management would meet overnight to see which other legal means were at its disposal to ensure stability.
Negotiations with Nehawu would also continue through the evening.
Nehawu is pushing for higher percentage calculations for the performance bonuses because it has said that high earning employees, such as Parliament's secretary Gengezi Mgidalana, will do well off a low percentage point, but the average worker will get just under R3 000, which they think is not fair.
Workers downed tools on November 6, and for the first week of the strike the focus was to get Parliament to agree to pay the bonuses on the total annual package. But then the dispute shifted to the percentage, which would be used for the calculation.
Parliament was also criticised for its handling of the matter at the Congress of SA Trade Unions' 12th national congress in Midrand.
But Mbete said menacingly: "We want to remind ourselves that we do have the Powers and Privileges Act."
An interdict issued two weeks ago in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act, gave the speakers the power to call the police in to remove protesters.
She promised that the important division of revenue amendment bill would be passed before Parliament rises and said they planned to carry on with sittings on Wednesday as planned.
'Relationship is not very healthy right now'
Chairperson of the NCOP Thandi Modise said Parliament had accommodated Nehawu, thrown open its books to show how much money it had and had allowed Nehawu to hold its meetings in the old National Assembly building during the strike.
It had spoken to Nehawu's national leadership, and to its mother body Cosatu, but to no avail.
"So that relationship is not very healthy right now. We have every intention of trying to heal it," said Modise.
She said they had not invoked their interdict on another occasion when workers sang outside the doors of the National Assembly, because they were "embarrassed" by what was happening.
But the gloves were off now.
"Because if you start tinkering with the business of Parliament, you are actually tinkering with the business of the state. And that is not what you want."
So, to protect the National Key Point, they would invoke the interdict if necessary.
"If that ends up in Parliament parting company with its workers, that will be a sad day. It might be done, but we are not there."
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/parliament-takes-the-gloves-off-in-nehawu-strike-20151124
Jenni Evans
Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete vowed to crack down on striking Nehawu workers if they disrupted any of its business again after a sitting was abandoned when they burst into the House on Tuesday.
"Today they didn't just continue with the strike, they started to embark on the type of actions which... are totally unacceptable," said Mbete.
Parliamentary workers belonging to the National Education, Health and Aliied Workers' Union have been protesting over performance bonus calculations.
She threatened to call the police again as she did two weeks ago to stabilise the situation, with the hope that Parliament would be able to finish off its work.
President Jacob Zuma was also expected to have his last session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
"We are now saying, it's so far and no further."
She said striking workers went to committee rooms on Tuesday and threw food on the floor and broke crockery in the process. Mbete said she would not put up with it.
The carpet in front of where she was sitting for the briefing was smeared with a substance that looked like yoghurt.
'We have the power to call the police'
Tuesday's events came after Nehawu rejected Parliament's counter proposals for how the bonuses should be structured. Nehawu said it would intensify the strike as a result.
Mbete said management would meet overnight to see which other legal means were at its disposal to ensure stability.
Negotiations with Nehawu would also continue through the evening.
Nehawu is pushing for higher percentage calculations for the performance bonuses because it has said that high earning employees, such as Parliament's secretary Gengezi Mgidalana, will do well off a low percentage point, but the average worker will get just under R3 000, which they think is not fair.
Workers downed tools on November 6, and for the first week of the strike the focus was to get Parliament to agree to pay the bonuses on the total annual package. But then the dispute shifted to the percentage, which would be used for the calculation.
Parliament was also criticised for its handling of the matter at the Congress of SA Trade Unions' 12th national congress in Midrand.
But Mbete said menacingly: "We want to remind ourselves that we do have the Powers and Privileges Act."
An interdict issued two weeks ago in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act, gave the speakers the power to call the police in to remove protesters.
She promised that the important division of revenue amendment bill would be passed before Parliament rises and said they planned to carry on with sittings on Wednesday as planned.
'Relationship is not very healthy right now'
Chairperson of the NCOP Thandi Modise said Parliament had accommodated Nehawu, thrown open its books to show how much money it had and had allowed Nehawu to hold its meetings in the old National Assembly building during the strike.
It had spoken to Nehawu's national leadership, and to its mother body Cosatu, but to no avail.
"So that relationship is not very healthy right now. We have every intention of trying to heal it," said Modise.
She said they had not invoked their interdict on another occasion when workers sang outside the doors of the National Assembly, because they were "embarrassed" by what was happening.
But the gloves were off now.
"Because if you start tinkering with the business of Parliament, you are actually tinkering with the business of the state. And that is not what you want."
So, to protect the National Key Point, they would invoke the interdict if necessary.
"If that ends up in Parliament parting company with its workers, that will be a sad day. It might be done, but we are not there."
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/parliament-takes-the-gloves-off-in-nehawu-strike-20151124
Parliament's programme extended by 2 days because of strike - ANC
Thulani Gqirana, News24
Cape Town – Parliament’s National Assembly programme will be extended by two days to make up for time lost, the ANC said on Tuesday.
Work in the National Assembly was brought to a halt on Tuesday by striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union members, who stormed meetings and disrupted a House sitting.
The office of ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani said in a statement, released after the afternoon sitting was cancelled, that Parliament and its striking workers needed to resolve the dispute urgently.
Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the disruptions harmed MPs' constitutional rights to perform the duties for which they were elected.
"The inability of the institution to execute its function and pass important decisions adversely impact on the lives of millions of ordinary South Africans.
"The two parties owe it to this Parliament, on whose shoulders rests the aspirations of our people, to see to it that this protracted dispute is resolved without further delay," he said.
Mothapo said the ANC was disappointed that the impasse between Parliament and workers continued, despite a consensus reached last week on the payment of bonuses.
The striking staff members are demanding a change in the performance bonus structure, among other things.
"As a majority party in this institution, the strike of the Parliament staff and the associated disruptions of the work of Parliament concern us. We will therefore not sit on the sidelines, but decisively intervene to ensure a speedy resolution," Mothapo said.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ended-by-2-day-because-of-strike-anc-20151124
Thulani Gqirana, News24
Cape Town – Parliament’s National Assembly programme will be extended by two days to make up for time lost, the ANC said on Tuesday.
Work in the National Assembly was brought to a halt on Tuesday by striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union members, who stormed meetings and disrupted a House sitting.
The office of ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani said in a statement, released after the afternoon sitting was cancelled, that Parliament and its striking workers needed to resolve the dispute urgently.
Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the disruptions harmed MPs' constitutional rights to perform the duties for which they were elected.
"The inability of the institution to execute its function and pass important decisions adversely impact on the lives of millions of ordinary South Africans.
"The two parties owe it to this Parliament, on whose shoulders rests the aspirations of our people, to see to it that this protracted dispute is resolved without further delay," he said.
Mothapo said the ANC was disappointed that the impasse between Parliament and workers continued, despite a consensus reached last week on the payment of bonuses.
The striking staff members are demanding a change in the performance bonus structure, among other things.
"As a majority party in this institution, the strike of the Parliament staff and the associated disruptions of the work of Parliament concern us. We will therefore not sit on the sidelines, but decisively intervene to ensure a speedy resolution," Mothapo said.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ended-by-2-day-because-of-strike-anc-20151124