8 SHOP STEWARDS FIRED AT MANANGA SUGAR PACKERS

MHLUME – The sun has set on eight Mananga Sugar Packers (PTY) Ltd shop stewards who were suspended early this year in connection with their participation in a protracted strike last year.

Their dismissal comes after a disciplinary inquiry found them guilty of violating the company’s rules and regulations, during the strike which ran from June until December last year.
In March this year, the company also fired 23 workers who had also taken part in the protracted strike.

The shop stewards were charged with various counts, ranging from violating safety procedures to tampering with clocking records.
“…on July 17, 2017, you violated Section 9, Clause 9.2&9.3 of the MSP IR policies  and procedures when you  were an accomplice and took part in being dishonest, bearing false witness, forgery and tampering with clocking records as you were clocked in by another employee at the main gate.

This act was deliberately done to deceive the employer,” reads a charge sheet of one of the shop stewards.
Each of the shop stewards faced not less than 10 charges and they were found guilty on most of the charges by the disciplinary inquiry.
They appealed the ruling to an appeal’s chairman who had been hired by the company but he also upheld the initial judgment.

“Having considered the essential elements as highlighted in the appeal summary of findings and your years of service with MSP (Mananga Sugar Packers), the company has come to the conclusion that the suitable sanction for the various acts of misconduct that you were charged with is a dismissal with notice. I therefore confirm that your employment is terminated with one month’s notice plus four additional days for each completed year of service,” reads one of the dismissal letters of the shop stewards.

During the disciplinary hearings, the shop stewards were represented by Archie Sayed, the Deputy Secretary General of the Swaziland Agricultural Plantations and Allied Workers Union (SAPWU).

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