NUMSA vows to strike even if City of Tshwane heads to court

Whether or not the City of Tshwane takes the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) to court, its planned strike will go ahead – if its demands are not met. NUMSA was responding to the decision by the city that it may request contractors to interdict members of NUMSA who protested last week.

NUMSA members have a list of demands

NUMSA members, who also halted bus services, are demanded R2 500 for transport allowance, R60 per hour night shift allowance and medical aid cover. These demands are for workers contracted to Extremetec, the Tshwane Rapid Transit.

Extremetec is responsible for operating the Automated Fare Collection System for the City of Tshwane’s bus services.

Union ready to head to court – if necessary

Spokesperson for NUMSA Phakamile Hlubi-Majola revealed that the strike is protected.

Hlubi-Majola says meetings with agencies are ongoing and that the strike is currently due to the demand for an increase in transport allowance. Hlubi-Majola further stated that if their right to strike needs to be defended, they will do so in court, reports SABC News.

“We’ve been meeting with some of the agencies behind closed doors since the weekend and understand that the meeting will continue tomorrow. At the moment workers are on strike because they’re demanding an increase in the transport allowance from R600 to R2500, other workers for example Tshwane affected investment operation. All in all these workers are demanding a R2 500 allowance, they are working awkward hours. It cannot be that these workers have to strike for something that is protected but if they want to take us to the court that’s no problem, we will defend our right to strike in court,”

said NUMSA spokesperson Hlubi-Majola.

NUMSA’s strike is ongoing and the City of Tshwane has been given until 18 May to respond to its demands.

Stellenbosch University: Student will NOT lay charges against suspect

In other news making headlines; Babalo Ndwayana, the student whose belongings were urinated on by another student, will no longer be laying charges against the suspect. The first-year agricultural at Stellenbosch University’s father Mkuseli Kaduka revealed the decision recently.

On Monday, 16 May, it was reported that Ndwayana said he wanted to lay charges against the other student. His father said the young man had a change of heart after initially wanting to do so.

The headline-making incident allegedly took place over the weekend in the Huis Marais residence. The suspect has since been suspended. Spokesperson for the University Martin Viljoen shared the news on Monday afternoon. Read the full story here.