JOHANNESBURG - The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa
(Numsa) is demanding that the employee relations manager and general manager at
the Road Accident Fund (RAF) be suspended.
This comes after workers at
the Johannesburg RAF offices were allegedly exposed to harmful working
conditions.
In September a fire in the
CBD resulted in extended power cuts, which meant the air conditioning units
were not working at the RAF building.
The union said eight workers
fainted from the heat, caused by working in a windowless environment.
"The building has poor
sanitation exposing workers to potentially dangerous illnesses and infections,”
said Numsa.
The union on Tuesday said it
has lodged a grievance with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and
Arbitration (CCMA).
"We felt that the
management at RAF in Johannesburg
failed to adequately address our concerns regarding the safety of employees at
RAF," said Numsa.
"They did not care that
workers were suffering and did nothing to ensure that working conditions are
safe.”
Numsa also said the
management of the RAF continues to be in shambles.
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The union said workers at
the Menlyn branch have been forced to share workstations because the computers
in the Litigation and Determination Department were seized by the sheriff.
Although the CCMA has
granted Numsa the right to strike over this issue, the union said it
wants to avoid a strike and settle the dispute amicably.
This would entail suspending
the employee relations manager and general manager.