POLOKWANE – Satawu General-Secretary, Jack Mazibuko, said the board of GNT has been advancing individual pockets but the company is unable to pay workers their 13th cheques.
“We demand that workers be paid their 13th cheque. We demand the company to pay all the statutories including provident funds. We cannot continue to allow corruption to destroy state-owned companies,” he said.
He said that there should not be a board of directors at a state-owned company without the involvement of workers.
“We are the ones generating profits. We are the ones spending sleepless nights making sure that the company is profitable but when the company is going down, it is us who must pay the price,” he said.
Cosatu Provincial Chairperson, Calvin Tshamano, said the union backs Satawu and its demands to the employer.
“If they do not respond to your demands, they must respond to the great federation of Cosatu. If they do not address you, Cosatu will take responsibility and lead the fight against these employers. We are not going to accept any indication from the employer who refuses to give us benefits hence we are going to move side by side with you,” he said.
Some of the demands raised by the unions are that a 13th cheque be paid, urgent payment of statutory obligations, employment of all temporary employees as agreed in a previous meeting, and stopping the privatisation of depots in Makhado, Tzaneen, Marble Hall and Motetema.
The memorandum submitted to Ledet demanded that the board be disbanded, investigation of all GNT transactions, stopping the privatisation of inspectorate and depots and employment of a capable management team to run the company. One of the demands to Treasury was a forensic audit investigation into monies given to GNT.
The Spokesperson for Great North Transport, Patrick Monkoe said the issues raised have been received by management. “Ledet and Great North Transport are looking into it trying everything in their power to resolve the issues,” he said.
