Johnathan Paoli
THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has officially called upon commuters to boycott Putco for waging war on workers, following the corporation’s mistreatment of workers who have been placed on suspension.
At least 120 workers have been suspended by Putco and it has been alleged that the management has been treating them inhumanely by violating their dignity while they are on suspensions.
The Union claimed on Monday that these workers have been suspended because Putco tried to withhold increases, which rightly belong to workers.
This follows on an issue dating back to 2022 when hundreds of workers embarked on a work stoppage, because the Putco management refused to pay the wage increase of 6% and the bonus which was due to workers.
Putco had applied for an exemption from implementing the 6% wage increase. Its application was dismissed by the Exemptions committee because the committee was able to prove that Putco could afford to pay.
Numsa said that Putco was illegally requiring suspended workers to enter the workplace and remain seated ‘as punishment’ without adequate entry and exit, nor proper toilet facilities.
In addition, it was alleged that Putco required detailed affidavits from medical practitioners coercing patients of theirs who were also workers in relation to details concerning their sick days.
Numsa previously won an application at the CCMA against Putco where they attempted to reduce the number of workers who were going to give evidence at the hearings.
The union is the majority union and it is representing over 120 workers who are suspended. In order to adequately defend them, our officials must be able to lead evidence and cross examine witnesses as part of the process.
Putco attempted to get the CCMA to force NUMSA to only allow a limited number of people to provide evidence, which is an issue that has been rejected.
“This is a clear attempt by the bus company to prevent workers from adequately defending themselves and it is an attempt to undermine the case. This will make it easier for the CCMA to make negative findings against them because the union would fail to defend them. NUMSA has to be able to properly defend workers, in order to prevent any further dismissals,” General Secretary Irvin Jim said.
The bus company has argued that the hearings are costly which is why it wanted to reduce witnesses, however, Numsa has argued that what Putco is actually doing is to interfere in a disciplinary matter, with the aim of sabotaging the case for workers, so that they can be dismissed.
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