Tensions escalate in school builders strike

About 170 construction workers involved in building schools in the Western Cape have been on an unprotected strike for about five weeks.

Outside the GHC offices, the striking workers held a moment of silence for Melikhaya Pisane who was killed in a clash between the strikers and GHC security guards last Thursday (read more about this here).

The demands of the strikers include:

• provision of personal protective equipment;

• an end to the alleged hiring of gangsters as security guards;

• an end to retrenchments that don’t follow procedure; and

• payment of R1.4 million of workers’ pension money to the Building and Industrial Development Council, the bargaining council that administers the workers’ pensions.

When strikers arrived at GHC on Wednesday security guards with two large dogs were standing at the entrance. The guards said the employer was not on duty and demanded that NUM leave the memorandum with them. However the strike leaders refused to leave the memorandum and accused GHC management of cowardice and not taking responsibility for their actions. NUM regional organiser Benson Ngqentsu called for the guards to to be checked to see if they were registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (a legislative requirement for security guards). He alleged that the guards are the same ones hired by GHC to intimidate the striking workers. Ngqentsu also said that if management gave the strikers protective equipment, they would return to work on Monday. “We are here to fetch our protective gear so we can work,” said Ngqentsu, addressing the workers.

GHC management said they were not aware of the march. Director Raziek Rajah said he is not based at that office. “As far as I know the march was not approved and we were not expecting them. NUM has made a statement that we are hiring gangsters but they have not showed any proof,” he said.

“NUM was served with a notice for all striking employees to return to work by Thursday 14 May 2015, to answer to allegations of gross misconduct during their unprotected strike. NUM requested a postponement of the hearing and it was duly postponed by the chairperson Advocate Brendan Studti, to reconvene on Monday 18 May 2015. At this hearing another postponement to this Friday 22 May 2015 was granted,” said Rajah.

He also said, “It is inappropriate for NUM or its members to keep the media of the opinion and impression that Good Hope refuses to allow workers back at work. Good Hope is expecting striking employees and NUM to arrive at their scheduled disciplinary hearings, when they report for duty to answer to the allegations of the unprotected strike and the alleged gross misconduct committed during this strike,” said Rajah

The march continued to the Bargaining Council offices in Bellville, where the strikers left their memorandum demanding the council to force GHC to pay workers’ pension money to the council.