MTN, Union, clash over fired workers

THE Communication Workers Union (CWU) of South Africa is embroiled in a labour dispute with Africa’s cellular mobile network giant, MTN, over the dismissal of workers on Wednesday allegedly without following procedures.

The CWU is threatening to take MTN to the courts of law while there are also efforts to engage renowned business mogul-cum-politician, Cyril Ramaphosa, to intervene in the dispute.

CWU spokesman, Matankana Mothapo, told our reporters that the expulsion of the workers would not be taken lightly.

He said the MTN workers were charged and subsequently dismissed by the cellular mobile giant on September 22 for having allegedly lied about their union membership.

“This happened despite the union having indicated and submitted proof to MTN that it is the company which has failed to process the worker’s membership forms after they were submitted by the union,” said Mothapo.

“The Commercial Workers Union is greatly disappointed and disgusted by the union-bashing tactics of the MTN management through dismissing workers.”

“This happened against the background of MTN wanting to retrench some of its workforce in 2009, in which case management didn’t want to engage the union as a legitimate representative of its workforce. After the union approached the Labour Court, the parties ultimately reached an out-of-court settlement which then gave the union the latitude to engage in the retrenchment process with the intention to either seek alternatives or minimise the impact of that restructuring exercise,” said Mothapo.

He said CWU was calling upon “progressive forces” in the company such as Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the chairperson of the board and former trade unionist, to intervene in the “anti-trade union and counter – revolutionary tendencies demonstrated by some rightwing elements within MTN management”.

SAVIOUS KWINIKA, Johannesburg