SAFTU supports our affiliate DETAWU in calling for action to be taken against the owner of the company by the name of Paarl AC Rottweiler Security Services.
On Monday 11June 2018, one of DETAWU’s Shop Stewards at Paarl AC Rottweiler Security Services was physically assaulted by the owner of the company Mr Allan Carollisen and his son assisted by some of the armed guards of the company that resulted in his shoulder being dislocated. The Shop Steward went to the company to enquire about his salary and those of the other employees that were not paid at the end of the month of May. Unfortunately, he was met with violence.
This conduct of the employer is not only an assault on the Shop Steward, but we view this to be an assault on the rights of employees and a clear attack on the Union.
We also note the contributory role of the Department of labour in this incident. It is alleged that this is not the first time the employer does something like this. The failure of the Department of Labour (DOL) to do proper inspections as required we believe has emboldened the employer to believe he is above the law. Not only has our affiliate DETAWU as early as November 2017, reported to the DOL a variety of infringements of the Basic Conditions of Employments Act which includes late payments and underpayments of salaries by the company but even individual employees have visited the DOL offices in Paarl to report the infringements by the employer however the DOL had not assisted them in any way.
Today, Friday 17 August 2018, the workers supported by SAFTU held a sit in at the offices of the employer to ensure a scheduled inspection by the department of labour inspectors is carried out in a transparent manner with official of DETAWU and workers being present.
We are pleased that the DOL has heeded the call by our affiliate to do an inspection at the Company an invited them to be present today.
The employer however whilst being on the premises when the DOL inspectors and DETAWU arrived this morning fled the premises through the back door and failed to return.
We urge the DOL Inspectors to apply the law and use the powers given to them to pursue the employer which could and must result in the arrest of the owner of being in contempt as well as the commensurate fines be issued against the employer.
The DOL needs to send a clear message to errant employers that the disregard of our labour laws will not be tolerated and the DOL will pursue with vigour those employers that believe they can get away with disregarding the rights of workers.
We also call on SAPS to deal with the investigation into the assault of the Shop steward with urgency and ensure a proper investigation is done. It has been reported to them that the employer has CCTV footage of the incident and that this footage should be secured before the employer tampers with it, if he has not done so already.
As SAFTU together with our affiliate DETAWU we will be mobilising workers to demonstrate before the courts on the 21 November 2018 which is the date of the next appearance of the employer in court for the assault case. We also call on the NPA to dismiss the counter claim lodged by the employer of assault against the shop steward as baseless and abuse of the state resources.
As SAFTU we will leave no stone unturned in our defence of workers against abusive employers and ensure that workers rights are protected. We will not stand by idly whilst our affiliate unions are being attacked
Leave a Reply