Pursuant to the meeting between the Pikitup Board, Management and SAMWU held on Saturday, 28, November 2015, a follow-up meeting between Pikitup management, Shareholder (City of Johannesburg) and the SAMWU was convened this morning. The deliberation were held in a cordial manner, however, Pikitup management team and the Shareholder appealed to the labour union to return back work to allow the deliberations to continue in a conducive environment.
The management team of Pikitup and the Shareholder maintains that we cannot continue engage/or negotiate with the Union on the back of the illegal work-stoppage. Our view is that if we (Pikitup management and the Shareholder) continue engaging based on an illegitimate platform we will be setting a wrong precedence.
The management team of Pikitup and Shareholder commits that once workers go back to work or SAMWU calls off the illegal work stoppage, we will expeditiously address the issues to resolve it in the best interest of all the affected parties. In the meantime, we will allow SAMWU the space to consult with their membership based on the management proposal.
These commitments were also outlined in a letter shared with the SAMWU leadership on the 28 November 2015. In the letter Pikitup made it clear that:
- Pikitup could not negotiate with SAMWU in a situation of illegality and SAMWU’s ongoing disregard of the court interdict and due process,
- The principle of no work no pay would continue to be applied and the legal consequent on the unprotected strike, the disregard of the Court Order by SAMWU and its members, the cost incurred in relation to the strike, as well as the misconduct of certain employees during the strike would take its course,
- The position of Pikitup and the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) against the illegality of the strike and the ensuing violence, intimidation and trashing of the City was reiterated.
Issued by Pikitup