Hundreds of union members disrupted various portfolio committee meetings at Bhisho legislature yesterday morning.This as Nehawu members embarked on the first day of their strike.
Legislature management on Monday gave assurance that disruption of scheduled committee meetings would not be tolerated.
The institution also said it had a “contingency plan” to prevent any such disruptions.
However, none of the six scheduled committee meetings for education, health, safety and liaison; human settlement; sport, recreation, arts and culture; and social development managed to finish their business yesterday.
Groups of striking employees, mostly clad in union regalia and carrying placards, stormed the committee rooms.
They banged on doors and walls while singing revolutionary songs.
Shocked politicians and officials from the various departments had to abruptly adjourned meetings, which started at 8.30am.
Other committee meetings that were suppose to start at 10am, saw civil servants and their political principals, on arrival, being also chased away by agitated employees.
Those meetings were also aborted.
The union had yesterday vowed to render the institution ungovernable and further promised to disrupt meetings scheduled for this week, including one scheduled for today and seven scheduled for tomorrow.
Even though the majority of employees spent most of yesterday singing and dancing inside and outside the legislature (premises), some opted to continue with their daily duties. Police officers were stationed at each of the legislature’s entrances to keep an eye on the strike.
Yesterday’s strike action comes after Nehawu was granted a non-resolution certificate by the bargaining council, paving a way for a protected industrial action.
The strike follows a dispute over the institution’s recruitment policy adopted in 2012.
The union claims the policy was adopted without consultation with them.
Amid the dispute, it was agreed all recruitment processes be halted until the issue was resolved.
However, union leadership yesterday expressed disappointment that the institution continued to hire.
Nehawu branch chairman Madoda Nkwali said workers will not rest until the policy is reviewed.
“We demand that all recruiting sections be represented on panels for short-listing and appointments. We further demand union representation on these panels as well as greater recognition of union inputs and objections during all such processes,” said Nkwali.
Administration head Pumelele Ndamase yesterday said there was no way the institution could halt recruitment. He said if that happened, the institution stands to underspend on their budget by R15-million, an amount already set aside for employee compensation.
Legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza yesterday said the institution indeed had a contingency plan which was implemented, but failed to stop employees from disrupting committee meetings.
“We can confirm that the contingency plan was implemented as stated previously, however the meetings had to be adjourned despite that.
“The institution shall therefore reschedule the committee meetings as guided by the legislature programme,” said Ganyaza.
She however could not give a number of those who had embarked on the strike and those who remained at their offices, saying “attendance registers meant for the strike have been made available and are being monitored continuously. We will only be able to give figures when we have consolidated the registers”.
By late yesterday, management and union leadership were still locked in a meeting trying to solve the impasse. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Legislature grinds to a halt
Legislature management on Monday gave assurance that disruption of scheduled committee meetings would not be tolerated.
The institution also said it had a “contingency plan” to prevent any such disruptions.
However, none of the six scheduled committee meetings for education, health, safety and liaison; human settlement; sport, recreation, arts and culture; and social development managed to finish their business yesterday.
Groups of striking employees, mostly clad in union regalia and carrying placards, stormed the committee rooms.
They banged on doors and walls while singing revolutionary songs.
Shocked politicians and officials from the various departments had to abruptly adjourned meetings, which started at 8.30am.
Other committee meetings that were suppose to start at 10am, saw civil servants and their political principals, on arrival, being also chased away by agitated employees.
Those meetings were also aborted.
The union had yesterday vowed to render the institution ungovernable and further promised to disrupt meetings scheduled for this week, including one scheduled for today and seven scheduled for tomorrow.
Even though the majority of employees spent most of yesterday singing and dancing inside and outside the legislature (premises), some opted to continue with their daily duties. Police officers were stationed at each of the legislature’s entrances to keep an eye on the strike.
Yesterday’s strike action comes after Nehawu was granted a non-resolution certificate by the bargaining council, paving a way for a protected industrial action.
The strike follows a dispute over the institution’s recruitment policy adopted in 2012.
The union claims the policy was adopted without consultation with them.
Amid the dispute, it was agreed all recruitment processes be halted until the issue was resolved.
However, union leadership yesterday expressed disappointment that the institution continued to hire.
Nehawu branch chairman Madoda Nkwali said workers will not rest until the policy is reviewed.
“We demand that all recruiting sections be represented on panels for short-listing and appointments. We further demand union representation on these panels as well as greater recognition of union inputs and objections during all such processes,” said Nkwali.
Administration head Pumelele Ndamase yesterday said there was no way the institution could halt recruitment. He said if that happened, the institution stands to underspend on their budget by R15-million, an amount already set aside for employee compensation.
Legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza yesterday said the institution indeed had a contingency plan which was implemented, but failed to stop employees from disrupting committee meetings.
“We can confirm that the contingency plan was implemented as stated previously, however the meetings had to be adjourned despite that.
“The institution shall therefore reschedule the committee meetings as guided by the legislature programme,” said Ganyaza.
She however could not give a number of those who had embarked on the strike and those who remained at their offices, saying “attendance registers meant for the strike have been made available and are being monitored continuously. We will only be able to give figures when we have consolidated the registers”.
By late yesterday, management and union leadership were still locked in a meeting trying to solve the impasse. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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