Pretoria - The Public Utility Transport Corporation (Putco) has proposed to the trade unions that the internal appeal hearings for the employees dismissed during the recent unlawful and unprotected strike action be replaced with Section 188A disciplinary hearings.
This comes after the commuter transport company dismissed 105 workers for engaging in an unprotected strike earlier this month.
“Should the unions accept the proposal, Putco will request the CCMA to facilitate an amendment of the agreement and to replace the internal appeal process with Section 188A disciplinary hearings where the accused employees will have the opportunity to answer the misconduct charges against them in disciplinary hearings chaired by independent commissioners,” said Putco spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu.
Xulu said if the proposal is accepted, employees who were dismissed for misconduct during the strike will be reinstated immediately and placed on suspension pending the outcome of the Section 188A disciplinary hearings.
Xulu added that the company scrutinised all the video footage it had at the time of the unlawful strike as well as more recordings made available subsequent to that.
“Based on the veracity of that evidence, management decided to review certain dismissals where appropriate, reinstate some workers and place all affected individuals on suspension, pending the outcome of the Section 188A disciplinary hearing process.”
He said the number of dismissed individuals has been reduced from 105 to 86.
“However, there are 53 additional employees who will be suspended and charged with misconduct. Putco has proposed that the disciplinary hearings for all the 139 employees be expedited to ensure fairness for all those affected.”
Putco has requested all unions to indicate their acceptance of the Section 188A proposal by no later than September 28, 2022.
IOL