Protesting workers handed over a memorandum of their grievances to
Independent Newspapers management in Johannesburg on Friday following a
picket outside the company’s premises, according to a report in Business Day.
“We are demanding that Independent Newspapers get rid of the labour brokers, Capacity Outsourcing, because workers are being exploited,†said General Industries Workers’ Union of SA spokesman John Appolis.
At issue is Independent Newspapers’ outsourcing of its printing to a company that, in turn, outsources its labour to the firm Capacity.
Workers contend that they should be employed and paid by Independent Newspapers itself.
Capacity GM Kirk Walker said labour was outsourced because of the different staffing requirements from day to day.
Accepting the memorandum, he said Capacity and the union met weekly. T heir next talks were scheduled for Thursday .
About 50 workers toyi-toyied and sang in a cordoned-off section of Sauer Street, outside the Independent Newspaper Group’s offices on Friday morning, but had dispersed by early afternoon.
Click here to read the full report, posted on Business Day's website
