Around 1 000 Putco employees who are participating in the illegal strike were issued dismissal notices. Photo: range commander / Flickr
Putco workers STILL striking – some issued notices of dismissal
Putco employees who embarked on an illegal strike were issued dismissal notices and have until 17:00 today to submit representations.
Around 1 000 Putco employees who are participating in the illegal strike were issued dismissal notices. Photo: range commander / Flickr
Approximately 1 000 Putco employees could face dismissal following the unprotected strike they embarked on last week.
Business has not returned to usual on 7 September
The bus company said it won’t be back to business on Wednesday, 7 September, as a number of its drivers are still going forth with the strike. The workers demanded a 6% wage increase last week, reports EWN.
Commuters who use the company in Soweto and Pretoria were left to make alternative plans to get to their destinations. Putco was last week granted an interdict and says it was working to resolve the issues the workers are facing but now those workers had been issued with notices to dismiss them.
Putco spokesperson, Lindokuhle Xulu told 702fm that the workers have until 17:00 on 7 September to make representations and submit them in a written form. After this, Putco will be able to know who is employed by them and who is not.
From this they can tally what kind of service they need to offer in the coming days and formulate a plan for the upcoming weeks, said Xulu.
Putco employees burnt tyres and stopped others from entering the facility
“Unfortunately, there is no end in sight for those that are embarking on an illegal strike because as I speak to you, I’m seeing some reports that they have in fact returned to some of the bases of our business unit, the Putco depots and they are essentially doing what they did yesterday, which was to blockade, to burn tires and stop some of the workers who are not on-site from entering some of our facilities,” said Xulu.
500 000 security guards to strike IF wage demands are not met
Previously, it was reported that on 26 September, approximately 500 000 private security workers are planning to go on strike.
The private security workers stated that if their wage increase demand of 16% or R900 across all sectors are not met, a strike is bound to happen. Employers reportedly offered an increase of 5% to the security guards but their workers’ unions rejected this.
The unions and workers have given the employers until 12 September to grant their wage increase with added benefits including extended family responsibility leave. Read the full story here.
