8 December 2022

Press statement

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) from JC Bez region picketed outside Eskom headquarters at Megawatt Park in Johannesburg earlier today. At least 300 workers, who are employed as cleaners and gardeners, have lost their jobs following the termination of their contract. They were employed by a service provider called Kusile JV, and when that contract to provide these services was not renewed, it resulted in workers losing their jobs.

In the past, these workers would have been transferred to the new service provider and absorbed into the business in terms of the business transfer process as captured in section 197 of the Labour relations Act (LRA). However, this has not happened in this instance. NUMSA is of the view that they have been unfairly dismissed. Some of these workers have been working at Eskom for nearly 20 years and in all that time, Eskom has not insourced them, they have simply been passed from one business to another.

We handed over a memorandum which included the following demands:

1. An immediate reinstatement of the all the workers and their benefits.
2. An unconditional apology from Eskom and its related sub-contractors.
3. The recognition of NUMSA shopstewards and officials as the representatives of the workers,
4. An unconditional commitment to insource all sub-contractor workers, alternatively section 197 being fundamental precondition of any facilities management tender process.
5. The provision of wages and employment conditions that are fair and equitable.
6. The stopping of the workplace terror against the cleaners committed by managers such as Mr. Peterson.
7. The urgent conclusion of the grievance of sexual harassment against Mr. Peterson of Eskom, etc.

Our members hand over a memorandum of demands to Mr. Amos Mboweni the general manager of Eskom contractors. We have given them 7 working days to respond.

Issued by Mncedisi Kwababa

NUMSA Regional Secretary

0720241155

For more information, please contact:

Phakamile Hlubi-Majola

NUMSA National Spokesperson

0833767725

phakamileh@numsa.org.za

NUMSA Head Office number: 0116891700

NUMSA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial

NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media

NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/

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NUMSA MEMBERS HAND OVER A MEMORANDUM OF DEMANDS TO ESKOM OVER UNFAIR DISMISSAL