News

According to media reports, the striking workers picketed Mt. Edgecombe MTN branch in KwaZulu-Natal demanding a ban on labour brokers. MTN has two other call centres in Polokwane and Johannesburg.

The workers, who are supplied to MTN by a labour broker, are also demanding that MTN employ them permanently and want their salaries increased.

One of the affected workers told the Independent Online that he had been working as a contract worker for over six years but had not received a salary increase or incentives.

The striking workers were angered by bonuses awarded to MTN staff and not to those employed by recruitment agencies. Medical aid and provident fund are also some of the benefits not extended to contract employees.

The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) South Africa, which has members in MTN, has constantly accused MTN of deliberately using labour brokers to ensure that the union does not reach the legal unionisation threshold required for recognition by the company.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has an ongoing campaign to ban labour brokers who are undermining unions’ efforts to organise and represent workers.

CWU Statement on MTN call centre strike

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) members who are working for MTN in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) having been recruited and supplied by an employment agency/labour broker called Tlhalefang, have with effect from yesterday 14 March 2011 expressed their anger and disgusted by MTN management. The issues in dispute are: Non-payment of a bonus promised by MTN (the employer); Recognition of CWU as their Collective Bargaining Agent and for them to be permanently employed.

The CWU is calling upon MTN to concede to these reasonable demands by our members who have contributed immensely to the profits that the Company has declared in this year’s annual reports.

And further ensure that the union is unconditionally recognised to be able to bargain for the lot of these hard-working workers. Failure to positively respond to our demands would result in calling upon all members in MTN across the breath and length of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) to intensify the action.

Other than the above actions, CWU is calling for Solidarity Action across the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector locally and internationally. We further call upon our National Legislature during the process of amending the labour laws to ensure that the Labour brokerage is not regulated as suggested from certain quarters in society, but be totally banned.

The CWU, urge our comrades in CWU to intensify the rolling mass action all over the province of KZN and fight tooth and nail to make sure that they eradicate the exploitation of a man by man by greedy capitalist in our country.

Our government needs to consider the consensus of the majority of our people and workers to totally ban labour brokers. It shows that the working class and the poorest of the poor in this country are undermined and as workers we will make sure that we take this country to a standstill and revolt militantly.

Contact:

Matankana Mothapo

National Spokesperson

Cell: + 27827590900