Netwerk24 reports that striking Mangaung metro employees are apparently under an obligation to return to their posts after the Labour Court on Friday declared the industrial action by members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) unlawful.  

This was according to Dr Elizabeth Snyman-Van Deventer, FF Plus metro councillor, who said that it was now the responsibility of the union to persuade its members, for their own good and the good of residents, to return to work.  She said that the points of difference between the metro, as employer, and the union, as representative of the workers, should instead be settled in an alternative manner, such as through mediation.  Pule Molalenyane, national president of Samwu, indicated on Tuesday that the strikers had not yet returned to work and were still conducting discussions with the mayor, Olly Mlamleli, and her management team.  Discussions were apparently scheduled to continue at 16h00 on Tuesday. (Loosely translated from Afrikaans)

• Read this report by Marietjie Gericke in full in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 (limit on access)

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