This shutdown will not only affect all financial institutions, but the ATM’s in the affected areas too. The General Secretary of SASBO, Joe Kokela, told OFM News that this will be a total shutdown of the economy.

He added that a total of five marches are planned throughout South Africa. The five towns include Bloemfontein in the Free State, Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

Kokela explained that SASBO anticipates that at least 10 000 people in the finance sector will be out of the system this year because of Section 189. He explained that Section 189 is a prescription of the labour relations act which states that should the company have some problems with operational requirements, it can apply Section 189. This means that both the union and employer should seek consensus to make sure that no-one will lose their jobs or to look at how the situation can be minimised.

According to Kokela, three major banks have approached the union as they wanted to institute Section 189. He further stated that the union have realised that banks approach them with an attitude only to get the boxes ticked to say that they’ve complied and consulted with a union. He says they never wanted to listen or to take whatever suggestions that were put to them by the union, as all that they do afterwards was go to their employees and notify them.

With that being said, he claims that one of the major banks has thus far laid off about 1800 employees and closed more than 91 branches as they claim that the customer is moving into the digital space. According to him, this is a concern as the branches that are being closed down are the ones in the rural areas.

Kokela says that some banks offer employees voluntary severance packages. He explained that some employees fall for this as they have been working for these institutions for a long time. They may have been affected by possible job losses throughout their lives, so this time they want to leave the financial institution even though some of them still wanted to be in the system because they have families to take care of. 

He added that this is a great concern and he therefore sees the march as of the utmost importance.

Kokela reassured that the strike is legal and stated that the union has gone for Section 77 of the labour relations act, which states that for any strike to take place an application needs to be lodged with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), which according to Kokela, was done. “Our application goes hand-in-hand with what has been lodged by our federation, which is Cosatu. With that being said, the strike is legal as it was accepted by Nedlac”. He stated that this is a protective strike and that no-one will lose their job by taking part in the anticipated march.

OFM News/Elsabé Richard