Local News
Disgruntled Hestony Transport employees go to court─── REFILWE REFILWE 07:23 Wed, 21 Jan 2015
Bloemfontein - Disgruntled Hestony Transport employees have approached the courts regarding their organisational rights.
Motebang Botsane, chairperson of the company’s newly formed Tirisano workers’ union, says they will appear in the Braamfontein Magistrate's Court on January 30.
Botsane says their complaints against Hestony Transport owner Etuan van der Westhuizen were initially handled by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Johannesburg before the union was referred to court.
More than 40 Hestony Transport workers from around the country have been picketing outside the company’s headquarters in Bloemfontein. The disgruntled employees downed tools in November last year and started picketing last week.
Truck drivers and workshop employees have complained of unfair working conditions. Some claim that Van der Westhuizen has threatened to fire them if they join the union, which was established by the company’s employees late last year.
Some union members allege that Van der Westhuizen deducts a union membership fee from their salaries. They claim to not know where this money goes. Workers also allege that they are not being paid for overtime, and that it is unfair practice for the company to hire 80 percent of Zimbabweans and only 20 percent South Africans. They are also demanding a 45 hour work week.
On top of this, various protesting employees have told OFM News that they have received dismissal messages without proper disciplinary procedures being followed.
Refilwe Mekoa/OFM News
