The Communication Workers Union (CWU) plans to launch a sympathy strike against MTN, hoping to reinforce its industrial action against the mobile operator with an additional 10 000 union members from other sectors.
CWU president Clyde Mervin this morning confirmed the union is applying for a secondary strike certificate at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, and expects additional union members to join the strike on Wednesday.
The strike, which started more than two weeks ago, has been winding down, according to MTN. However, Mervin has again accused MTN of downplaying the impact of the industrial action strike on its operations. "We know the strike is having a huge impact on MTN and it is costing them millions of rands."
Talks between the company and the CWU have effectively stalled over the issues of annual pay hikes and bonus payouts. The union is demanding a 12% bonus pay and a 10% salary hike, but the operator says it will not budge from its final proposal. MTN is offering a 4% bonus payout in December 2015 and a second payment of 8.33% in March 2016.
Last week, the CWU rejected MTN's offer to engage in an independent arbitration process, causing a stalemate in the negotiation process.
"We rejected independent arbitration, because it would mean we have to call off the strike, and we believe in the right to strike," Mervin explains.
Not worried
Meanwhile, MTN says it is not particularly concerned about the threat of a sympathy strike, as the CWU has been threatening this course of action since the beginning of the industrial action.
MTN SA HR chief Themba Nyathi says no protest action was seen at any of the operator's offices, or service centres this morning, except for about seven protestors "sitting in their cars" outside MTN's head office in Fairlands, in Johannesburg.
"As far as we're concerned, we don't consider this much of a strike anymore; we refer to it as absenteeism. All is quiet and everyone seems to be back at work," says Nyathi, who last week said the company recorded a work attendance rate in the high 90% region.
While the strike initially led to the closure of MTN's call centres and disrupted other services centres, including retail stores and the high-value repair centre, Nyathi says all operations are up and running again.
"We're not sure what the implications of a secondary strike might be, but the union has so far failed to intensify the strike. But we're not too worried; the union is within its rights to do this."
Nyathi says MTN is more concerned about the CWU using the strike to fight its own battles, such as its attempt to gain recognition with the company. "We are trying to engage with the CWU, but it seems like the union is battling to end the strike now and save face."
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