The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has taken Gautrain to the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) for suspending staff who refuse to have the COVID-19 vaccine.
The union has also accused Gautrain’s management company, the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), of failing to consult labour on vaccination mandates, reports Fin24. The employees’ disciplinary hearings are scheduled for 14/15 March.
Numsa claims 27 members of the union working at Gautrain were placed on suspension, but the BOC denied this, saying only two were suspended over its vaccination policy.
Numsa secretary general Irvin Jim said the union and its employees at Gautrain had been left in the dark about the company’s vaccination policy as well as its engagements with the Department of Employment and Labour on the matter.
“We were never consulted on the risk studies done, and our health and safety representatives were never involved, despite guidelines from the Department of Employment and Labour advocating for such involvement,” he said.
BOC spokesperson Kesagee Nayader said Numsa’s statement was misleading and that only two employees “are going through an incapacity process”, in line with the company’s mandatory vaccination plan.
“We also reject Numsa’s allegation that it was not consulted, as we had various discussions with Numsa shop stewards between October 2021 and December 2021. Furthermore, the company embarked on various education drives with the company doctor, to address employees’ questions or fears around vaccination and the COVID-19 pandemic in general,” said Nayager.
A mandatory vaccination plan was shared with elected Numsa shop stewards in December, with no objections received from the union and employees were given an opportunity to comply by the end of February, added Nayager.
Numsa takes Gautrain to CCMA for suspensions over vaccine mandate policy (Open access)
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