Home Affairs nationwide strike averted

HOME AFFAIRS workers will go back to voluntary work on Saturdays following a last-minute agreement with the trade union – ultimately averting the nationwide strike planned for today.

“We are going back to voluntary work on Saturdays. The spirit through which this was negotiated was such that this voluntary work does not affect negatively on service delivery processes,” deputy director-general Nkidi Mohoboko said at the weekend.

Mohoboko said trade unions had as part of the agreement effectively withdrawn their notice to strike issued on June 6 for a strike to begin today.

The notice was issued following the collapse of conciliation talks between two parties regarding disputes over overtime payments on Saturdays.

On the other hand, the department withdrew the circular forcing the front office workers to work on Saturday without overtime payments.

“All consequences related to the implementation of the circular that negatively impacted employees will be reviewed and reversed on good cause shown,” Mohoboko said.

She said operations within the department would revert to conditions that prevailed prior to implementation of the circular, including voluntary work on Saturdays.

Despite the agreement, both parties are to enter into renewed negotiations on working hours at the departmental bargaining chamber.

“Trade unions will be afforded the opportunity to address members affected by the implementation of the circular on the details of this agreement on June 19 and with a minimum disruption of service delivery,” Mohoboko said.

Ivan Fredericks of the Public Servants Association said: “We are trying to work together to reach an agreement to the betterment of our members and workers at large.”

He reiterated that the unions would go back to the chamber to negotiate with a view to making sure members were treated fairly.

Mohoboko said the department would look at all matters from the employers’ and the employees’ sides during the negotiation.

The strike would have made it difficult for bereaved families across the country to bury their loved ones due to the absence of officials to issue death certificates.

Recent talks between the two parties took place following a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court that the matter should be discussed at the bargaining council.

In 2010, the department spent R14 million on overtime payments, which its director-general Mkhuseli Apleni said was not sustainable.

The decision to work at the weekend had been a cabinet resolution intended to assist people who needed public services on Saturdays.

Had the strike gone ahead, bereaved families across the country would have faced a situation whereby they could not bury their dead loved ones.

The strike would have impeded the department’s issuing of death certificates and citizens would also not have been able to travel abroad, because the officials on strike would not have been available to assist them with the required documentation.

In addition, child grants would not have been provided as this is also dependent on birth certificates being issued by the department.

Saturday work was implemented in 2004.

Between 2004 and 2010, workers were paid overtime, which was not sustainable.

The department had previously stated it was not in a financial position to consider and accede to the demand for overtime pay.