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Workers in the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, the National Transport Movement and the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union, on Monday 20 June, began a protected strike again LSG Sky Chefs, a company which provides catering services to international airlines.

The workers’ main demand to the company is to institute disciplinary actions against its General Manager, Liza Antonopoulos, for her ill-treatment of workers. Organised labour met with the employer several times but without any agreement. The company further applied to CCMA for facilitation under Section 150 of the LRA but then abandoned the process.

Later on the three unions jointly declared a dispute to the CCMA in terms of section 64 of Labour Relations Act, which covers unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment by employers. A non-resolution certificate was issued on 7 June 2016 and the unions served a 48-hours’ notice on 17 June 2016.

The company tried to interdict the strike but they were overruled by the Labour Court on 21 June 2016, which only imposed normal conditions on the unions not to commit any unlawful conduct

Around 550 workers, out of a plus/minus 640 staff complement in Jet Park, Gauteng, are participating in this strike. Our grievances are:

1. Favouritism towards certain newly appointed employees by recommending higher salaries to them, thus disadvantaging the current employees who earn lower salaries.

2. Unfair treatment of staff by Liza Antonopoulos.

(a)  Bullying of staff

(b)  Shouting at staff.

3. Oppression and threatening of staff whereby workers are not allowed to knock off until the manager decides.

4.  Insulting drivers by alleging that they are urinating in the back of the trucks.

5. Stamping of staff upon exiting the premises, meaning that no employee will leave without finishing their job after the end of a shift, as exit can only be authorised provided you have a stamp.

6. Unfair discrimination by forcing workers not to wear their religious/cultural jewellery/hand bands.

LSG Sky Chefs workers were quoted in The Star newspaper on 21 June. One said: “If you do one small thing, even just eat a biscuit or make a simple mistake, they fire you on the spot, no warnings, nothing. They don’t want black people working here. We live in a democratic country, treat us properly. Treat us equally. We cannot have racism, not now, not ever”.

A 51-year-old woman told The Star that she had been working for LSG Sky Chefs since 1996 and she was paid only R3 000 a month. “I have been working here for 20 years and I’m expected to train interns who get paid a lot more than I do. It’s wrong; I have a family to support. I want to send them to school and give them a good education, but I can’t do that on R3 000”.

Another worker said the company supplies food to global flights and makes millions in profit, “but we get paid peanuts. They are intimidating workers, forcing them to stay beyond their working hours. We support this protected strike and stand in solidarity with the employees”.

Numsa declares its total support for the strike and demands that the company responds positively and urgently to the workers’ absolutely legitimate demands.

Issued by Numsa