Johannesburg - The SA African Transport and Allied workers Union (Satawu) said it remained hopeful that bus company Putco would take back 105 employees it fired last week.
The employees were fired during the industrial action at Putco depots that lasted nearly two weeks. They were accused of sabotage and other criminal actions that fuelled the strike.
During the final stages of wage negotiations between Putco and unions, workers had demanded that part of the agreement should be the reinstatement of the dismissed workers. But Putco management said that would not happen. Unions were expected to make representations on behalf of the fired workers yesterday.
Satawu spokesperson Amanda Tshemese said it only had nine members among the dismissed group of workers.
“Satawu remains positive and hopeful that the employer will after the hearing take back the workers to work. No one deserves to lose a job, especially with the high rate of unemployment and cost of living,” she said.
Tshemese said she believed the workers were fighting for a just cause. She pointed out that the strike involved 1 000 workers, and not only those that were dismissed. “Satawo will submit its internal appeal to the Putco management.
“The union will represent its workers on the October 6 when the hearings take place. Satawu would also want to clarify that out of 105 workers who have been dismissed by the employer, nine of those workers are members of Satawu,” she said.
The Star