Tender row printer now in trouble with union
Politically connected pro-unionist ‘tried to halt recruitment’
● A printing company that has been at the centre of at least two multimillion-rand tender controversies has been hauled to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) for prohibiting aggrieved staff from joining a union so they can fight for salary increases.
Process Litho, owned by politically connected Muzi Ntombela — who is the brotherin-law of higher education, science & technology minister Blade Nzimande — has been accused of victimising staff members who want to join the South African Typographical Union (Satu).
Ntombela did not respond to specific queries about the allegations of victimisation, lack of increases for his staff, or the government tenders his company has received.
Satu spokesperson Khwezi Makhathini told the Sunday Times the union had approached the CCMA on Friday over organisational rights after Ntombela “decided not to recognise the union”.
The matter stems from a May 8 recruitment meeting at a park where 24 employees indicated that they wanted to join the union.
“Two Satu officials visited the company and both met with Muzi Ntombela,” said Makhathini. “The meeting seemed to have gone well and he requested the union give him time since he had no problem with unions, adding that he, too, is or was a unionist,”
However, a few days later, Ntombela allegedly began to question employees who wanted to join the union.
“Whilst he was questioning these employees who wanted to join, one of the employees mentioned an employee who was assisting with the collection of application forms. After the questioning by Ntombela, the employee was then served with notice of a disciplinary hearing. He was assisted by the Satu KwaZulu-Natal office to prepare him for his hearing,” said Makhathini.
He said the employee won the case but was told that he would be transferred to Zululand.
Ntombela didn’t respond to queries about these allegations, either.
Makhathini said the union had not yet established the staff grievances, but “a theme of victimisation of those who were interested or joined the union has endured”.
After the CCMA hearing on Friday, the union’s Durban manager, Andrew Michael, said both parties had now agreed to a membership verification process on October 22. “We have to show proof that the employees signed forms to join the union so we have to show the company the forms. We are not totally satisfied but it is a process and the commissioner made a decision on what is best for both parties,” he said.
It is believed that employees want to join the union as they are disgruntled over not receiving increases over the past four years despite “the money rolling in from government contracts”.
According to the company’s website, its clients include the ANC, SACP, the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, the University of Zululand (UniZulu) and the Mangosuthu University of Technology.
In 2016, UniZulu’s management came under fire when Process Litho was awarded a multimillion-rand printing contract that was not put out on open tender.
Besides being paid for printing services, the company earned about R900,000 a month for printing costs, in addition to income generated by student printing.
In 2011, Art Stationers and Standard Printers filed an urgent court application against Process Litho and the education department over the 2011, 2012 and 2013 printing and distribution of adult basic education and training examination stationery, National Senior Certificate exams and NSC supplementary examinations.
Art Stationers was awarded the tender after due process, but the education department used Process Litho, without any explanation.