The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has taken a very dim view of the activities that have taken place at Topbet in Germiston recently. We once again want to congratulate the journalist who have covered the story very well and put in the limelight the continuing violation of women’s rights in the workplace.

As the legitimate voice of workers, we are horrified that the days of manhandling, humiliating and dehumanising workers especially women workers; are still with us centuries after the banning of slavery and 24 years after the democratic breakthrough in South Africa.

We have since learnt that the whistleblower who alerted the public to this abhorrent behaviour by employers has since been suspended. That kind of attitudes suggests that this employer is determined to rule the workplace with an iron fist. Workers are not slaves and we will tolerate such egregious assault of their rights.

We are calling on the Department of Labour and the CGE to institute an investigation into this matter with immediate effect! No worker, male or female, must experience this kind of workplace abuse and humiliation.

We call on all workers to join us as we picket outside Topbet facilities in Germiston tomorrow from 07:00- 16:00. We call on Topbet to abandon its attempt to bully workers by re-instating the whistleblower and other workers, who have been suspended or dismissed and for the company to abandon intimidatory tactics.

Issued by COSATU                      

Sizwe Pamla (Cosatu National Spokesperson)
Tel: 011 339 4911
Fax: 011 339 5080
Cell: 060 975 6794