Gauteng - The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has filed papers in the Labour Court to force the ANC to pay its staff their outstanding salaries.
The union, representing the employees, told IOL News that it is in full support of the staff members in their fight for improved conditions of service.
Nehawu said workers are going through “a sad and traumatising period”, as a result of the ANC’s failure to honour and fulfil its contractual obligations which include the payment of salaries on time; non-contributions/payments to the Provident Fund; contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF); and at worst, no salary increment for the past three years.
Previously, the ANC made numerous commitments and promises which raised the hopes of its employees that it would pay salaries and contribute to their Provident Fund, UIF and medical aid scheme on time. But the ANC has failed to honour these payments.
“The late salary payments have resulted in our members and workers losing all they have worked for over the years. They are facing the stark reality of banks and financial institutions repossessing their homes, cars, etc because the ANC has defaulted.
“This inhumane act by the ANC undermines the dignity of its workers who kept the same ANC going by sacrificing their lives for the organisation,” said Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha.
“As Nehawu, we took a decision to take the ANC to the Labour Court, and filed papers on Monday. We are demanding that the service rendered by workers must be remunerated immediately.”
Saphetha said the ANC deliberately failed and elected not to honour its contractual obligations since October, 2021 resulting in workers not getting paid in December or over Christmas.
“But the ANC continued to gear up for their January, 2022 celebrations cutting cakes as if all is well and sorted with their employees. Despite the public stance by its president Cyril Ramaphosa that the ANC is prioritising the payment of its workers, and that he was working on salaries… Three weeks later nothing has happened, instead these workers are being threatened with retrenchment.
“The matter is in the Labour Court now and as the union and staff, we have tried everything possible to find an amicable solution, but to no avail. At worst, these workers were not treated with the dignity they deserve,” said Saphetha.
The union in its meeting with members on January 18, 2022 resolved on intensifying the campaigns that have been waged against the employer.
ANC staff said they would remain on a “full-blown stayaway” from the party’s offices.
ANC staff representative Mvusi Mdala said staff at Luthuli House in the Western Cape, Free State and North West had not received salaries for January, while in North West there were staff members who last received salaries in October.
“We will be on a stay away until every staff member receives their backpay. If tomorrow every staff member is paid up, and not even a single one is owed his or her salaries, we will reconvene,” said Mdala.
Political Bureau