SATAWU+on+Fidelity+Springbok+unilateral+abuse

SATAWU Statement, 15th July 2006
Post-strike relations between SATAWU and one of the country's biggest security firms, Fidelity Springbok Security Services are seriously challenged as the company continues to target SATAWU members for abuse, intimidation and victimization.

The company which recently bought Chubb Security is using this to retrench, frustrate and victimize SATAWU members by claiming that the retrenchments form part of their restructuring exercise.

1. In the past few weeks FSSS has suspended all full time SATAWU Shop Stewards in KwaZulu Natal and replaced them with shop stewards from a rival union that did not participate in the three month action. However up to now, they have not charged them with any misconduct, saying they are still undecided.

2. In the Western Cape they closed the offices of the full time shop steward in Cape Town and told him to report on site as a guard.

3. In Pretoria they have moved our shop steward around finally asking him to go and work at Head Offices of Fidelity in Bryanston where there are no SATAWU members which a shop steward is supposed to service.

4. They have refused all suggestions of a meeting to try and address these problems with SATAWU.

5. Since they bought Chubb, they have unilaterally reduced salaries of workers claiming that they want to bring them to the minimums that the Sectoral Determination set.

6. They now want to reduce the number of workers because they claim Chubb had too many workers. They have said personnel at the pay roll, finance, legal, HR and IR departments will now be outsourced and thus retrenchments will not be avoidable.

SATAWU views these developments as an infringements on the rights of these workers and would like to state it up front that it will resist these moves and will take it to the highest mediation authorities to prevent them.

We know that this company is a mature player in the security industry of this country and can therefore not plead ignorance. What it is doing now is purely motivated by vengeance and SATAWU will not tolerate it. The CCMA has already been notified of these.

=Ronnie Mamba=
 * National Media Officer**
 * SATAWU**
 * 011 333 6127**
 * 082 646 5353**

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