Almost 9 000 Communication Workers Union (CWU) members at Telkom are expected to picket at the company today over a wage dispute.
Chief negotiator at the union Richard Poulton says this will affect about 40% of Telkom staff. “Today we are picketing; we are not yet at a full-blown strike.”
He says the picketing action will take place outside all of Telkom's operations nationwide. However, it will be limited to lunch hours, as a picket during working hours would constitute a strike.
“At present, Telkom is not affected by any form of industrial action,” says Meshack Dlamini, executive for employee relations.
Wage gap demands
The two parties have been at loggerheads over wage negotiations in a dispute that has been going on for over a year. While a settlement was reached last year, the union reignited the discussions a few months ago.
The union demands Telkom move staff onto higher salary bands before implementing a 7.5% salary increase. It also wants Telkom to rework its profit-sharing model and is pushing the company for a 9%-16% gain-sharing bonus.
Poulton says the rest of the unions at Telkom have accepted the wage offer of 7.5%. However, “the wage gap is just too wide”, which is why the CWU has not agreed to the deal.
On the march
Telkom and the union had almost reached agreement on reducing the wage gap before the salary improvement was implemented, but the telecommunications company has since said the amount required still needs to be approved by the board, he claims.
There is a chance the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration could intervene to settle the matter, but both parties have yet to agree on a date, Poulton says.
Between today and 10 August, union members are expected to picket, go slow and not work any overtime. The next phase of protest, on 11 August, will involve national marches to submit memorandums to Telkom.
After that, workers are expected to stay away from work, the union says.
The CWU, which has a recognition agreement with Telkom, has 44 000 members in the telecommunications, cellular, broadcasting and computing industries.
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