Nehawu and Parliament remain deadlocked

"The last meeting we had was last night," National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) Western Cape secretary Luthando Nogcinisa said on Wednesday.

"The secretary to Parliament made commitments that the matters we have raised will be addressed but when we requested him to put these commitments on pen and paper, he refused."

Nehawu denied it was using Sona to bargain with Parliament.

"Our objective is not to disrupt the Sona as it has been reported by some media houses," Nogcinisa said.

"Our only objective is to highlight the plight of workers in Parliament."

The union has over 900 members employed by Parliament, some of whom perform voluntary services during the Sona.

"They include things like the choir, the ushers who would take guests from the airport to Parliament and usher MPs and so on," said Nogcinisa.

It was not clear whether Parliament had made alternative arrangements to offset the effects the withdrawal of services would have on the event.

"We are in talks with them [Nehawu] and we'll communicate with them directly on issues of mutual concern. We will not conduct our negotiations in the media," said Parliament's spokesman Luzuko Jacobs.

Nehawu is demanding a 13th cheque for workers, and that the pay of workers be equalised.

 

 

(File Photo: Gallo Images)