Photo: Robben Island / TW
The Robben Island Museum has assured its visitors that operations will resume as normal on Tuesday 7 January. The notice comes after National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) workers have embarked on a legally protected wage strike on Monday 6 January.
Why are museum workers on strike?
As reported by Tourism Update, the trade union has been locked in wage negotiations with the museum which have been dragging on for two months.
According to Nehawu’s secretary in the Western Cape, Eric Kweleta, more than 200 workers, including tour guides, boat crews, marketing and ticket salespeople, have downed tools.
This, he told Jacaranda FM, was in response to the Robben Island Museum’s inability to meet the workers’ demands, which include:
A 9% salary increase as part of a two-year wage agreement;Cost-of-living adjustments for 2019/2020;Long service awards, where a worker who has been working for more than five years, should be awarded R5 000; andThe insourcing of security personnel and private cleaners.
After weeks of intensive negotiations, the Robben Island Museum returned with a counter-offer of a 6.5% salary boost, and shot down other demands.
Nehawu has refused to accept the counter-offer and vowed to intensify protest action until their demands are met.
The museum, on the other hand, has assured visitors that security measures have been beefed up to ensure the safety of tourists.
“Customers will be reimbursed fully or have their booking rescheduled for an alternative date in the unlikely event the strike should affect the museum’s operations,” Robben Island Museum spokesperson Morongoa Ramaboa said.
Robben Island Museum schedule for the week
Tours to the Robben Island Museum operate daily, with four departures on the schedule. The ferries depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront at the following times: 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00.
Ferries offload museum visitors at Murray’s Bay Harbour, where buses are lined up to kickstart the three-and-a-half hour tour.
While there is a lot of uncertainty about the impact of the strike, the museum has assured its visitors that it is prepared for any threats.
Ramaboa confirmed that the museum has enlisted the help of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the V&A Waterfront, as well as their own security personnel.
