STAFF at SA National Parks (SANParks) are expected to down tools tomorrow at 12h00, says the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa). “All camps at the Kruger National Park will be affected, as well as the Pafuri, Orpen, Crocodile Bridge, Malelane and Kruger National Park gates,” says acting general secretary Dean Stopforth. Other parks that will be affected include the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the West Coast National Park, Table Mountain National Park and Mountain Zebra National Park. SANParks says that visitors should not be concerned and they will not be negatively affected by the strike as contingency plans have been put in place. The union says that it wants to be recognised by SANParks as an official bargaining agent so that its members can enter into negotiations on salaries and other conditions of service. SANParks says its position is that it will only negotiate with Hospersa if the union represents 50% +1 of a bargaining unit. “Hospersa has not met that threshold and are currently representing 26% of a full staff compliment,” says David Mabunda, ce of SANParks. But Hospersa says it represents about 42% of total SANParks staff and that nowhere in SANParks' Labour Act does it make reference to the ‘50% +1’ bargaining unit. Sue Lewitton (suel@nowmedia.co.za)
