143 fired UWC guards fight to get their jobs back

FIRED after the #FeesMustFall protests at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), 143 guards are now fighting to get their jobs back.

Yesterday they started the process at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over their dismissal by Securitas SA after an internal disciplinary process. This after the workers successfully overturned an interdict at the Labour Court in January, related to charges after protests and a shutdown at the UWC last year.

Security guard Mfaxa Ntobeko said charges against the workers ranged from absconding to kidnapping.

“Our site managers met with the students who warned them about the shut-downs and, when we queried where we would be deployed, there was an altercation. They accused us of holding those seniors hostage,” said Ntobeko.

He said they had been unemployed since October while the other companies allowed their workers to return to their duties, and Securitas employed new staff.

General Industries Workers Union of South Africa representative Michael Helu said there was no resolution after proceedings yesterday.

Next week all three parties must submit their arguments, and officials from the CCMA will decide whether the university should be drawn into the process.

Helu said the outcome was important as there had been disciplinaries and dismissals within other companies, where worker leaders were targeted.

Student activist Amanda Soya said the students within UWC’s #FeesWillFall movement were standing with the workers. “Ours and the end outsourcing movements cannot be separated and we stand with our cadres. The university credits itself as being a ‘former’ black university, yet it does nothing while our poor black workers are being victimised,” said Soya.

She said if UWC was sincere in upholding its agreement with the students and workers, it must sever ties with Securitas SA in solidarity.

UWC spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said Securitas was the employer, not the university, and the difference of opinions was between them and their employees. He said the university would take its cue from the CCMA process.