The national security strike might be official as the South African Security Workers’ Union (SAPSWU) reached a dead end with the security employers as they offered seven percent for salary demands at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) recently. The SAPSWU together with the employers met at the CCMA offices in Johannesburg to negotiate and try to reach a common ground for national security guards, who demand better pay from their employers.
However, SAPSWU did not reach an agreement with the employers who offer seven percent which means theirsalary is below R5000.00, on the other hand the union demands a salary of R6850.00. Gauteng News spoke to Vernon Ratshili, General Secretary of SAPSWU, “Currently we are consulting with our members about the offer that has been put on the table by the employers but we won’t settle for less, and we will continue to represent our members.”
SAPSWU collected demands from their members inFebruary this year and ever since then the union has been negotiating with the employers and currently talks are heating up, as the union’s demands have not beenmet. SAPSWU is disappointed as they did not reach an agreement with the employers and at the same time, they were hoping an intervention from the CCMA would assist in reaching a common ground.
“We plan to receive a certificate that would give us a go ahead to launch a national strike since we didn’t reach any common ground. Like I said, we are still consulting with our members and things are currently heated but we are still willing to talk to the employers and reach a common ground,” said Rajtshili. Currently the members of SAPSWU are reporting for duty and it’s business as usual for security companies in South Africa, the date for the national security strike will soon be announced.
