Lesetja Malope
Following last week’s Transport and Allied Workers Union South Africa (Tawusa) protest march by Great North Transport (GNT) employees, the company suspended the union’s Provincial Chairperson, Mr Hezekiel Selahle a day later.
Selahle was served with a suspension letter barely 24hours after the union took to the streets to deliver a memorandum. Selahle, a Public Relations Officer based in Nkowankowa, was suspended pending an investigation but the allegations were not stipulated in the letter.
A meeting was held on Monday between the union and the company and it was agreed that the suspension would be lifted after the union argued that the timing of the suspension was suspect and appeared to be victimisation of the union’s leadership.
The union’s Deputy Provincial Chairperson, Mr Josias Sekgobela said the suspension is victimisation and is exactly what the union downed tools for recently.
Among the things the protest was about was the GNT’s leniency towards disciplining senior employees whereas junior employees, mostly bus drivers, are quickly reprimanded.
"The suspension was prompted by the march and we see the suspension as a victimisation of the workers’ leaders," Sekgobela said.