Striking Robben Island Museum workers want Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile to resolve a two-week-long strike as wage negotiations reached yet another stalemate.
National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) provincial secretary Luthando Nogcinisa said they wanted Mashatile to intervene because management was negotiating in bad faith, refusing to meet the workers’ “reasonable and revised demands”.
The strikers – 100 staffers out of 220 – have dropped their wage demand from a R3 500 to R2 000 across-the-board monthly increase. And they no longer demand a shutdown of the museum during the festive season, but for some workers to be given “considerable time off” between December 24 and January 2 from next year to be with their families.
Museum chief executive Sibongiseni Mkhize says it cannot afford even the much lower demand because of budget constraints.
Nehawu wants Mashatile – who department is responsible for the museum – to instruct the management to resolve the dispute.
Nogcinisa said the union had written to the museum’s council and to Mashatile asking them to urgently break the deadlock.
“We want to reiterate we are reluctant participants in this strike and are prepared to sit down with management (if it has a) new offer.”
Mashatile’s spokesman, Percy Mthimkhulu, said the department was not aware of a letter, but the minister was unlikely to intervene.
- Cape Times