Vodacom Ends Lockout in South Africa, then Retaliates

Just days after workers reached a settlement with Vodacom ending the South African wireless company's 5-week lockout, management has retaliated against union activists, suspending 13 workers when they returned to work on August 7.

CWA, the AFL-CIO and other unions around the world have been supporting the workers' struggle for union recognition at this subsidiary of telecom giant Vodafone, Verizon's partner at the anti-union Verizon Wireless.

According to the Communications Workers Union (CWU), "The assault on workers seems carefully orchestrated to show other workers a vicious response to union activity," the CWU stated in a Aug. 8 report on its campaign blog, which can be found by clicking here. Management so far has refused to meet with the union in apparent violation of the Aug. 2 settlement agreement.

The settlement includes several improvements that should help the workers continue to build their union, including expanded access for union organizers to Vodacom facilities, the right to appeal disciplinary actions to an outside government authority, and a procedure to collect and process union dues for workers joining the union. Earlier, the lack of such a procedure allowed management to claim the CWU did not have the required 30 percent support to win union recognition, support which the company continues to dispute.

Vodacom has unilaterally boosted wages between 2 percent and 15 percent and improved other benefits and conditions for the 3,700 workers – improvements that the workers realize was a direct result of their organizing activity and their strike, which turned into a lockout, according to David Alvarado of the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center, who is stationed in South Africa.

CWA and IBEW recently donated $10,000 to CWU for legal and other assistance for the workers.  "Clearly, the courage of these workers in taking a stand, along with global union support, is making an impact, but management's suspensions of 13 activists shows that they are still struggling against a union-busting mindset at Vodafone," said CWA President Larry Cohen.  "We'll continue to stand with them."