Another Telkom pay dispute
Trade union Solidarity has declared a dispute with Telkom over salaries, the union said on Friday.
Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said the dispute was about the implementation of an amended wage agreement as agreed upon in August.
He said there was a discrepancy over the payment of wage increases.
According to the agreement, employees were meant to receive an 11% increase retroactive from April this year, with an additional 0.5% in October.
Kleynhans said Telkom was interpreting the agreement in a way that numerous employees were excluded from or only received a fraction of the agreed upon increase, due to amendments to their salary scale.
"Solidarity maintains that the increase applies to all employees in the bargaining unit."
Kleynhans said Solidarity also had a labour court dispute with Telkom, which Telkom had indicated it was willing to settle.
That dispute related to the calculation of Telkom’s medical aid contribution as determined in the original wage agreement signed in 2006.
"Wage negotiations for the next three-year wage agreement should open in December, but meanwhile these burning issues drag on."
Kleynhans said Telkom had a "negative attitude" towards the issues raised.
He said if the internal dispute could not be raised, Solidarity might refer the case to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Comment from Telkom was not immediately available.
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