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Nehawu-affiliated Parliament workers downed tools this morning and held a quiet protest in solidarity with two colleagues who were suspended for “disrupting” a meeting addressed by the secretary to Parliament last week.
About 200 Parliament workers quietly gathered on the steps of the National Council of Provinces and erected a Nehawu banner. The workers did not sing or toyi-toyi as they did during their month-long strike towards the end of last year.
According to the Nehawu leadership in Parliament, the chairperson of Nehawu’s Parliament branch Sthembiso Tembe and another Nehawu member – whose name is known to City Press – were put on precautionary suspension late yesterday.
“We have not yet downed tools; to down tools is a process. You have to inform the employer about your intention to down tools,” said Thabang Molusi, Nehawu secretary in Parliament.
“Today, we are just demonstrating our concern with regard to the chairperson and the other member of Nehawu who have been placed on precautionary suspension.
“We are demonstrating and we are pledging solidarity with them and we want to inform the South African public as well that the chair of the Parliament branch – which is the biggest Nehawu branch in the Western Cape – is being disciplined,” he said.
Molusi claimed that, by suspending Nehawu leadership, Parliament wanted to intimidate workers.
“This is a battle from November last year, a battle that culminated in an agreement. If you look at that agreement, there is a clause that says even if management decides to discipline members or staff, the sanction imposed must not lead to dismissal. The management of the institution was never happy about that,” he added.
Tembe is one of four Parliament workers who were charged last week for allegedly disrupting a staff meeting convened by the secretary to Parliament, Gengezi Mgidlana.
The meeting last Tuesday ended abruptly as Mgidlana stormed out leaving workers in the venue, after staffers raised one too many points of order and started singing freedom songs as he attempted to address the gathering.
Workers wanted him to add an agenda item about outstanding issues relating to last year’s strike action and the continuing of salary deduction despite a “circular that promised a moratorium on deductions”, according to Nehawu.
Nehawu members were scheduled to meet at 1pm this afternoon to discuss the way forward.
