Following an agreement between Solidarity and Telkom to hold talks over the next two days, Cape Radio employees have returned to work after a six-day strike.
Cape Radio is a division of Telkom Maritime Services, in Cape Town, and broadcasts navigational, safety and weather information to ships.
Solidarity spokesman Jaco Kleynhans says the strike was held to protest a duty roster compiled by the national operator that affected employees' benefits and remuneration.
"The employees previously worked a six-day week and Sundays were voluntary with double pay. We now work a seven-day week without [extra] remuneration," says Kleynhans.
He adds that Telkom has also lifted the lockout of the 39 employees who had been on strike since last Wednesday, following high-level discussions between Solidarity and Telkom. The parties came to an agreement to suspend the strike for now to allow formal negotiations to take place today and tomorrow.
"Solidarity is happy with the decision to resume negotiations. We said last week already that the strike was the result of a breakdown in communication between the parties. We have consistently asked Telkom to concentrate on the issues about which our members are unhappy. We trust both parties will make a sincere attempt to resolve the dispute this week," notes Kleynhans.
He says Cape Radio provides an important service to shipping in South African waters and, since the dispute arose in October, Solidarity has done everything possible to avert the strike.
Kleynhans says the company was unable to maintain Cape Radio's standard services at a sustainable level during the course of the strike. "It was vital that the strike should end in order to avoid potentially dangerous situations in South African waters."
Telkom had not commented on the issue by the time of publication.
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