Numsa wants 110 jobs back!

THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) marched to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum of demands to Tshwane Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, on Thursday, 6 March 2025.

Numsa said the city has failed to uphold a promise to pay retrenchment packages for workers at the bus operator Tshwane Affected Operations Investments (TAOI). Furthermore, the union alleges that the city failed to uphold a promise to absorb some of the 261 workers whose employment contracts were terminated as the city is no longer using TAOI's services.

TAOI is one of the companies that was contracted to Tshwane Rapid Transport Service (TRT), also known as Areyeng. However, the city terminated the contract and promised to absorb all workers to different parts of its operation.

The city also promised to pay money to TAOI for the workers' retrenchment package.

Numsa spokeswoman Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said: "We're marching as the city has failed to uphold its promises. Our demands include absorbing 110 workers directly into the city to work as station marshals at the TRT and they promised to directly employ the remaining 151 workers as security guards and cleaners."

She further said Numsa asked the city to confirm these promises in an agreement, but it refused to sign an agreement.

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Hlubi-Majola said they didn't pay packages and re-hire workers and absorb them into the TRT. She said rogue employers hired by the city have also not paid workers their salaries for January.

She said the union gave the city five working days to respond to their demands in writing.

Frederick Mabasa, the national co-ordinator in the security sector, said: "The city of Tshwane confirmed that all employees are going to be safe and will transfer everyone to work under the city.

"What is more painful is that these workers received their salaries on 15 December 2024."

He said 150 have been absorbed as security officers and cleaners.

Makgotso Maepa, the Customer Relation Officer Marshall of Tshwane Affected Operators Investment, said: "Our contracts were terminated on 31 December 2024 without any notice. We didn't receive our notice and service pay. We have nothing even to settle our bills."

Pheko Letlonkane, City of Tshwane's Group Head Roads and Transport, received the memorandum.

"I will give the memorandum to the relevant authority," said Letlonkane.