Striking guards urged to 'find a solution'
January 18, 2007
Johannesburg – South Africa labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana urged striking USB security guards and their employers on Thursday to settle their differences as they entered the second day of a strike.
The SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) - to which the guards are affiliated - said while "things were looking up", it was not calling off the strike.
"It is not like we are not talking (to the employers) or anything. There is no violence," said spokesman Ronnie Mamba.
Mdladlana urged both parties to use all legal mechanisms at their disposal to ensure the dispute did not get out of hand.
A solution had to be found as quickly as possible to avoid "regrettable scenes" similar to those that marred a dispute last year, he said.
About 1000 USB guards - tasked with protecting mainly government, municipality and Telkom premises - marched to their employer's Johannesburg headquarters on Wednesday.
Their main grievance was the money being deducted by the company "as some sort of penalty" for their participation in a dispute last year, said Mamba.
They were also unhappy at not receiving leave pay and over the non-payment of bonuses, he said.
Mamba said the guards' employer had acknowledged the problems and "they are going to pay".
The company was in the process of obtaining the money in the form of a loan, which was to be finalised on Wednesday with payment expected on Thursday.
He said talks between the union and the employers would resume at 9am on Thursday.
"We are hopeful that we are going to sort the issue out." - Sapa
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