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MTN SA to respond to striking workers

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 20 May 2015
MTN staff want a 10% salary increase, and a 16% bonus.
MTN staff want a 10% salary increase, and a 16% bonus.

MTN SA management will respond to employee grievances within seven days. This follows today's strike action by some employees, who handed a memorandum of grievances to MTN in support of their demands for salary and bonus increases.

This morning, staff issues with the company, SA's second-largest mobile operator, escalated into a full-blown protest, with MTN employees and other Communication Workers Union (CWU) members blockading the provider's main entrance at 14th Avenue, on the West Rand, for a few hours.

The industrial action against MTN began as a staff tiff as call centre agents were denied bonuses because the local operation did not meet its targets. However, it quickly escalated to a demand for a 10% salary increase, as well as a 16% bonus payout.

MTN SA CEO Ahmad Farroukh at noon received and signed a memorandum from CWU. He undertook to respond after the company has thoroughly gone through the list of grievances, which should be within seven days.

The operator recently reviewed its remuneration practices, which includes benchmarking its reward and recognition policy. Under the new policy, lower level one and two employees will receive a guaranteed 4% of annual salary at the end of each year, and a 13th cheque every year in March, regardless of company performance.

Customer consultants usually get around 30% of their annual salary in bonuses.

Chief human resources officer Themba Nyathi said this morning the CWU had shifted the goal posts, because it initially wanted an 8% guaranteed bonus for next year, which it then increased to 16% after MTN put 12% on the table.

MTN has also apologised to its customers for any service inconvenience caused by the strike, especially in the call centre and service centre environments. However, it notes, the protest action has had minimal impact on its operations.

Themba Nyathi adds the company was committed to engaging the workers and the union to find an amicable resolution to the labour dispute.

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