Although parking marshals are back at their jobs in the CBD, about 80 of the city’s longest-serving marshals are still on strike.
|||Cape Town - Although parking marshals are back at their jobs in the CBD, about 80 of the city’s longest-serving marshals are still on strike.
They still maintain that they were exploited and short-changed by Street Parking Solutions (SPS), the company contracted by the City of Cape Town to manage street parking in town. After being on strike for several weeks, many of the employees went back to work.
On Thursday, a group of die-hard strikers marched on the Civic Centre to petition mayor Patricia de Lille to intervene and to suspend SPS’s contract with the city. After a picket they handed a memorandum to a representative of De Lille’s office.
The memorandum accused SPS of “treating its employees like slaves”, saying the company did not pay holiday and maternity leave, intimidated employees, and kept trainees in training for three years without the offer of a contract.
The marshals’ central demand is, however, the back payment of a 23.5 percent commission that was promised to them in their original contract with SPS in 2009.
They said their only income came from tips for most of the time they were employed.
Brett Herron, the mayoral committee member for transport, said that he remained “very concerned” over the allegations.
“If proven to be true, it would constitute a contravention of employment law and the city would be entitled and obliged to take action,” he said.
A formal demand had been sent to SPS for documents and information.
“If there is in fact evidence of unlawful employment practices the city will act,” he said.
SPS owner Zunade Loghdey has refused to comment to the Cape Argus about the labour dispute.
daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za
Cape Argus