Union Complaint May End Airport Strike in South Africa

Union Complaint May End Airport Strike 
IAfrica South African News

Posted Thu, 08 Jan 2004 

The trade union Solidarity has laid an occupational safety complaint with the 
Labour Department which could bring an end to the strike at Equity Aviation 
services, which handles baggage at South Africa's main airports. 

Close to 690 members of the South African Transport and Workers Union (Satawu) 
have been on strike for the past three weeks at the Johannesburg International 
and Cape Town airports over a wage dispute. 

Solidarity has warned that should Equity Aviation Services be found to be 
acting in contravention of the Basic Employment Conditions Act and the 
Occupational Safety Act the company may be forced by the Department of Labour 
to cease intimidating non-striking workers into working illegal hours. 

According to Solidarity this would bring baggage systems to an immediate halt, 
since non-striking workers would no longer work overtime in order to keep the 
systems going. 

The union added that such a state of affairs would compel the company's 
management to seek a settlement to defuse the situation. 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Tuesday pledged its full 
support for members of Satawu employed by Equity Aviation. 

In a demonstration of solidarity, the union federation has called on its 
members to join the picket lines at the two airports. Durban Airport has not 
been affected by the strike. 

Equity Aviation was recently established as an incorporated, privatised company 
after Transnet sold the majority of shares in the company to a British 
multinational arms corporation and a local consortium. 

Cosatu said workers' rights and conditions were supposed to be guaranteed under 
the National Framework Agreement. 

Satawu on Monday stated that it was still consulting its members on the way 
forward regarding the strike action. 

The trade union Solidarity said it has asked the labour department to 
investigate the situation at Equity Aviation Services. 

The Department has undertaken to send inspectors to Johannesburg International 
Airport. The Occupational Safety Inspectorate would also conduct an inspection 
at Equity Aviation Services, it said. 

Solidarity claimed that if the company is found guilty its management may even 
face criminal charges. 

"This persistent problem not only creates dangerous working conditions, but 
also threatens the safety of the public and of passengers on aircraft. The 
workers are responsible for baggage handling and for the loading of aircraft 
where weight distribution and balance play an important role in the safety of 
the aircraft," the union said in a statement. 

Solidarity said it has come to its attention that its members employed by the 
company were being compelled to work overtime in excess of the hours stipulated 
by the Basic Employment Conditions Act. 

"Shifts of as much as 20 hours per day have been reported and some workers have 
already worked more than 200 hours of overtime per month. Management is 
victimising the workers in order to compel them to work longer shifts and 
unreasonable hours." 

"Solidarity members have had enough. They contend that the strike is getting 
out of control and that the authorities should intervene." 

According to the union South African Airways has confirmed that it regularly 
experiences flight delays because of the strike. 

Solidarity represents 40 percent of supervisors at Equity Aviation Services, 
and the trade union has already urged its members not to work additional 
overtime. 


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