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Johannesburg - Negotiations between Telkom [JSE:TKG] and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) over pay disputes have hit a roadblock.
The CWU, which is behind a strike against Telkom, says workers at the company need a cost-of-living inflation linked salary increase.
The strike, though, has been dogged by allegations that CWU members have resorted to violence and sabotage of Telkom’s network - claims that the union denies.
Nevertheless, talks between Telkom and the CWU went ahead late on Monday in Sandton, Johannesburg in a bid to negotiate a deal.
But the talks hit a deadlock over demands for an 11% salary increase, six months maternity leave, gainsharing, bridging the ‘Apartheid wage gap’ and a three year moratorium on retrenchments and outsourcing, according to the CWU.
“CWU confirms that this was a futile exercise and urge[s] its members to intensify the strike,” said the union in a statement.
CWU further asked its “provincial structures to escalate their programmes so that our actions could be felt in [the] ivory towers of Maseko and his masters”. Sipho Maseko is Telkom’s Group CEO.
CWU, in its statement, further said that Telkom asked it to consider suspending the strike amid allegations of sabotage and intimidations.
But CWU refused to suspend the strike and called on Telkom management to respond to its demands.
UPDATE: Telkom responds
Telkom confirmed on Tuesday that talks with CWU had fallen through.
"Telkom confirms that talks between the company and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) held on Monday (22 August 2016) failed to reach a resolution to the strike that has entered its fourth week," said the company in a statement sent to Fin24.
"Telkom approached these talks with the hope and intention to find a meaningful engagement with the CWU and made several proposals to the union, however the parties could not find each other.
"We call upon members of the CWU, should they opt to continue with the strike, to respect the picketing rules as stipulated in the court order and to desist from acts of intimidation. The company is committed to finding a resolution to this matter and continues to engage with all affected parties," said Telkom.
Earlier this week, Telkom said its network had been sabotaged amid the strike action, affecting services for over 13 000 customers.
Telkom, in a statement on Sunday, also slammed the CWU for allegedly blockading entry and exit points at the company’s facilities, intimidating workers and damaging equipment.
Telkom further alleged that a CWU protester hurled a brick through a non-striking employee’s car window in Randburg while technicians in the Western Cape had reportedly received threatening text messages from the union.
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