The entire Nehawu leadership at the embattled provincial headquarters of the cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department in Bhisho faces suspension for allegedly being involved in “unlawful industrial action”.
The group of seven unionists was given seven days to respond after being served with letters of intent to suspend them on the Friday before last.
A week later, on Friday, they were told to give cause as to why they should not be placed on suspension.
Even though they had all responded to the letters by Friday’s deadline, it is not yet clear what the department’s next move will be.
The letter of intent, dated April 15 and signed by head of department Bea Hackula, has been seen by the Daily Dispatch.
It was given to union leadership at the institution after they allegedly mobilised workers on April 12 and 14 to protest and hand over a memorandum with various grievances, without obtaining permission to embark on such protest.
Listed in the letter as facing suspension are branch chairman Lennox Maho, deputy Luvo David, secretary Phelisa Sidondi, Thabisa Phethela and additional members Asanda Magalela, Ntsikelelo Khwinise and Luvuyo Booi.
This was confirmed yesterday by Maho, who said this was a plan by management to divert attention from “the critical irregular issues we have raised against them in our memorandum”.
Maho said the unionists received the “threatening letters” after they had handed over a memorandum to MEC Fikile Xasa last week complaining about various irregularities in their workplace.
Maho said among their complaints were allegations of irregular recruitment processes at the institution and corrupt activities in the departments’ special programmes unit.
Maho said that in their memo to Xasa, they also called for the institution to implement the recommendations of a recent forensic investigation at Cogta.
He said allegations that they had disrupted services and embarked on an illegal protest were unfounded as they had used their lunch hour on both days for their industrial action.
In the letter, Hackula wrote that “the department has taken notice of your continuous misconduct relating to incitement and mobilisation of employees to participate in unlawful and unprotected industrial action”.
Hackula’s letter further states that the action was viewed as “serious misconduct”.
The unionists were further threatened with precautionary suspension should they “continue to engage on illegal and unprotected disruptive demonstrations”.
Maho said there was no legitimacy in Hackula’s actions and that the workforce would not take this lying down.
“We have already responded to her letter and now we will await her next move,” Maho said at the weekend.
Departmental spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam yesterday could only say “disciplinary action is standard practice if employees operate outside policy”.
Maho’s branch was disbanded by the Nehawu regional leadership last November after the branch accused the regional leaders of siding with the employer in some of the issues affecting employees.
However, the branch was reinstated four months later after the branch approached the union’s national leadership. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Bhisho union leaders face suspension
The group of seven unionists was given seven days to respond after being served with letters of intent to suspend them on the Friday before last.
A week later, on Friday, they were told to give cause as to why they should not be placed on suspension.
Even though they had all responded to the letters by Friday’s deadline, it is not yet clear what the department’s next move will be.
The letter of intent, dated April 15 and signed by head of department Bea Hackula, has been seen by the Daily Dispatch.
It was given to union leadership at the institution after they allegedly mobilised workers on April 12 and 14 to protest and hand over a memorandum with various grievances, without obtaining permission to embark on such protest.
Listed in the letter as facing suspension are branch chairman Lennox Maho, deputy Luvo David, secretary Phelisa Sidondi, Thabisa Phethela and additional members Asanda Magalela, Ntsikelelo Khwinise and Luvuyo Booi.
This was confirmed yesterday by Maho, who said this was a plan by management to divert attention from “the critical irregular issues we have raised against them in our memorandum”.
Maho said the unionists received the “threatening letters” after they had handed over a memorandum to MEC Fikile Xasa last week complaining about various irregularities in their workplace.
Maho said among their complaints were allegations of irregular recruitment processes at the institution and corrupt activities in the departments’ special programmes unit.
Maho said that in their memo to Xasa, they also called for the institution to implement the recommendations of a recent forensic investigation at Cogta.
He said allegations that they had disrupted services and embarked on an illegal protest were unfounded as they had used their lunch hour on both days for their industrial action.
In the letter, Hackula wrote that “the department has taken notice of your continuous misconduct relating to incitement and mobilisation of employees to participate in unlawful and unprotected industrial action”.
Hackula’s letter further states that the action was viewed as “serious misconduct”.
The unionists were further threatened with precautionary suspension should they “continue to engage on illegal and unprotected disruptive demonstrations”.
Maho said there was no legitimacy in Hackula’s actions and that the workforce would not take this lying down.
“We have already responded to her letter and now we will await her next move,” Maho said at the weekend.
Departmental spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam yesterday could only say “disciplinary action is standard practice if employees operate outside policy”.
Maho’s branch was disbanded by the Nehawu regional leadership last November after the branch accused the regional leaders of siding with the employer in some of the issues affecting employees.
However, the branch was reinstated four months later after the branch approached the union’s national leadership. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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