SAMWU gunning for Pickitup’s Amanda Nair
SAMWU said that it now has new evidence to have criminal charges reinstated against Pikitup Managing Director Amanda Nair.
|||Johannesburg - The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) said on Monday that it now has new evidence to have criminal charges reinstated against Pikitup Managing Director Amanda Nair.
SAMWU previously has had a long battle with the Nair, whom they have sought to have removed from her post over allegations of corruption.
In 2015 Nair was arrested for supposed corruption involving her children using Pikitup cellphones. She was later suspended by the City of Johannesburg over allegations of corruption. However, a discipline hearing into the matter saw Nair return to her post as MD.
Charges against her were also dropped.
Now SAMWU wants corruption allegations looked into again because the union has “new information” to support its claim.
SAMWU’s Paul Tlhabang claimed: “There’s a lot we have discovered. Senior representatives close to Nair have adjusted their salaries two to three times more than their contracts showed. We have instructed our lawyers to deal with this case”.
The union’s regional secretary, Emsie Sikaledi, said the corruption charges were linked to unfair recruitment processes and the termination of employee contracts.
Responding to SAMWU’s claims that it had new information linking her to corruption, Nair said: “The state prosecutor must review any charge or any docket filed and make a determination whether there is merit to the matter. It is that entity that determines whether charges are withdrawn or stand.The root of the charge is not within the bureau of this organisation, but done by people who run the judicial system”.
Nair said if SAMWU or Pikitup workers question the merit of the decision made by the judicial system to drop the charges against her, then the union should lobby for the reinstatement of the charges.
“If anyone wishes to challenge the decision made by the state prosecutor then facts will speak for themselves,” said Nair
Sikaledi claimed on Monday that the union had gathered new evidence regarding work contracts between Pikitup and workers.
“The fixed term contracts were converted to permanent basis as per agreement between the City and Pikitup management. The board took a resolution that workers in level four and below should be converted to permanent,” said Sikaledi
SAMWU Provincial Chairperson Mketheni Muthavhi said Nair decided to go against the conversion of fixed contracts to permanent contracts.
But Nair rejected the claims made by SAMWU that she had been involved in barring workers from signing permanent contracts.
“The issue of fixed term contracts is not what we were dealing with at the disciplinary hearing. There are processes that we have established. All we are asking for is orderly manner and uphold discipline at Pikitup,”
Singozo said: “We will not rest until she she falls. The union wants her to face prosecution”.
SAMWU members were not a work on Friday, but the union denied it was an illegal work stoppage.
On Monday Nair said Pikitup workers had returned to work. But the company had in the meantime gone to court to apply for an interdict against illegal strike action by workers.
“The judge heard the matter and has issued an interim order, which we are now working on. That order has certain conditions that he required us to comply with as well as SAMWU. The matter will be on the roll on Thursday where the judge will make a determination.”
African News Agency
*Use IOL’s Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.