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OFM News writes that the Free State education department’s abrupt decision to shut down all 10 of its learning material and stationery warehouses in 2017 might come back to haunt it.
Almost 300 of the department’s former contract workers want to be rehired, but this time on a permanent basis. The group is being represented by the Public Servants Association (PSA) in a dispute lodged with the Education Labour Relations Council. The book packers used to work at the department’s warehouses, located in Welkom, Allanridge, Marquard, Petrus Steyn, Heilbron, Kroonstad, Qwaqwa, Harrismith, Koffiefontein and Mangaung. After being operational for close to a decade, all 10 warehouses were suddenly closed, leaving about 600 employees without jobs. The PSA’s Jantjie Jack advised that the basis of their argument was that the department had created a “reasonable expectation” of employment when it had renewed the employees’ contracts each year. They apparently worked full time for the education department, with their contracts being renewed year after year. The PSA also said the 2015 amendment to the Labour Relations Act regarding contract workers leant weight to its argument because it limited contract work to three months without a justifiable reason. The applicants and respondents in the matter were in the process this week of submitting closing arguments, after which the bargaining council will take 14 days to reach a decision on the dispute.
- Read the full original of Olebogeng Motse’s report on this story at The Citizen
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page