Security employers to take a hard line at talks

Security industry employers say they will take a hard line in Friday’s talks to bring an end to the strike that has been dragging on for nearly two months. A joint statement by employers say their continued participation in the talks depended on the Satawu agreeing to call off the strike and bringing an end to the violence associated with the dispute. Before the talks, Satawu’s national coordinator Jackson Simon called on employers to set the issue of disciplinary hearings aside and to focus on workers' demands. He said employers’ insistence on Satawu calling off its strike would get in the way of good faith negotiations.

In another development, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union say they would be forced to intensify consultations with members to embark on secondary strike actions in solidarity with their security colleagues if real negotiation don’t take place. The union says they are concerned that employers continue with their unwillingness to address in a meaningful way the low wage earned by security employees and the terrible conditions they work under.