Does it make me a cruel heartless capitalist to laugh at this little gem that Croydonian has found? Apparently, the South African mobile company Vodacom (50% owned by Vodaphone) have blocked the mobile phones of their striking workforce on the basis of a "no work, no pay, and no benefits" policy.
Serves them right frankly. I have always beleived vehemently in the right to strike, but only if it is accompanied in equal measure by the employers right to fire or pay its workforce whilst it sets up it's picket lines. Equality for all!
2 comments:
The problem is that, unlike ceasing payment, reductions in benefits to pressure employees to accept company's terms is illegal under South African law.
You might think that if companies can suspend payment, then it makes sense that they can suspend all benefits. Consider this - if you are on ARV treatment and Vodacom cuts it, you will effectively die for striking. That creates a little bit of an imbalance.
Likewise if the only phone you have is one that was given to you as a benefit, (not as a business tool), and a family member passes, they will have no way of contacting you.
Let company's fight, I agree, but let it be a fair fight.
I am in total agreement with you.
Strikers always look at the basic money and use this to argue their case - they always seem to forget that benefits also have a value.
However, its not just strikers who suffer from this, politicians were taught by the same maths teacher!
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