Cape Town - Suspended members of Sasbo, the finance workers’ trade union which represents about 73 000 members in the finance sector, are considering taking their grievances with the union’s leadership to the Labour Court.
The move comes after their application to have the matter of their suspensions, which stem from an ongoing dispute with the union’s leadership, was struck off the roll.
Judge Cornelius van der Westhuizen struck the matter off the roll of the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria last week “for want of urgency”.
The 13 suspended members, mainly from the union’s elected management committee, have been in dispute with their general secretary, Joe Kokela, over what they claim was a “coup” against them last year.
The letters of suspension said that while the members had been suspended in terms of the Sasbo infringement policy pending investigations, they were still members of the union even though they were being denied access to the union’s offices.
Responding to queries Kokela said the suspended members faced serious allegations which were being investigated but he would not disclose the precise reasons.
He said: “If these members chose to take the matter to court, the union will defend the matter and we will be happy to share the details after the court outcome of the envisaged court case or after the investigation into the transgressions that led to the suspensions are finalised”
Sasbo is an affiliate of Cosatu whose national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the matter would be addressed at a meeting of the trade union federation’s central executive committee (CEC) today.
Asked if Sasbo officials would also be at the CEC meeting and whether they would be asked about the issue, Pamla said: “There is an official from the union but I doubt she will be asked to answer any questions.”
He said there was a CEC task team that deals with (affiliate) unions that would submit a report.
Asked whether the suspensions would affect employers and industrial relations in the sector, the Banking Association of South Africa declined to comment.
Problems at Sasbo began during its inconclusive annual congress in October last year, which was marred by several disputes raised by members over what they saw as moves by the leadership to get rid of the management committee.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za