MTN has once again appealed to the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to rein in striking members, as violence and intimidation is not the solution, MTN SA human resources officer Themba Nyathi says in a statement.
Citing violence that has marred the strike since it commenced last month, Nyathi says MTN secured a court interdict that restrains striking employees and other participants from coming within a 100m radius of any of MTN's premises for the duration of the industrial action.
This interdict, he says, was sought in a bid to safeguard the lives of its employees and company infrastructure and facilities. "The unintended consequence of the interdict was that the strikers vented their frustrations on innocent motorists who had nothing to do with the dispute.
"We have a strong contingent of law enforcement officers comprising members of the South African Police Services and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department outside our premises in Johannesburg."
On Monday, Nyathi said the strike - which has entered its fifth week - is all but over, as most employees had returned to work. He added the CWU has indicated it is ready to enter into a settlement, having backed down from practically every one of its demands.
It is understood the union met with the company at the weekend, indicating it is willing to accept MTN's 4% bonus payout in December and another payment of 8.33% in March 2016.
CWU president Clyde Mervin said this morning he would not be able to provide an update on the strike until later today.
Contingency measures
Meanwhile, MTN has reaffirmed its commitment to putting contingency measures in place to minimise disruptions at its operation.
The mobile operator adds, despite the CWU not being recognised as the official employee union, as it does not have the required 30% membership threshold, MTN has continued to negotiate with the union in good faith.
MTN says it has called for an independent audit of CWU's membership to address the contentious issue of union recognition, adding it has proposed binding final arbitration, which the CWU has categorically rejected.
"Once again, MTN emphatically rejects the allegation that it employs casual workers. The non-MTN staff are employees working for third-party vendors. In line with the requirements outlined in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, MTN has been paying employees working on Sundays and public holidays, contrary to CWU's claims," the company says.
Meanwhile, Nyathi says the protracted strike action has, as is to be expected, impaired MTN's ability to provide optimum customer service. "We have put contingency measures in place to minimise disruptions and we are continuously improving on these interventions to improve the quality of service we offer to our customers.
"The speedy resolution of the strike is in the best interest of MTN, as it will ensure we resume with our normal operations, and to the striking employees as participation in the strike deprives them of an income because of the application of the policy of no work, no pay principle."
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