Durban — The SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said it would request a meeting with Emirates airline management after its travel agency allegedly sent a racist and threatening message to two employees.
The employees, an African and an Indian, work for Basfour 3257 (Pty) Ltd, which is a travel agency for Emirates airline in Durban.
The messages are slightly different but came from the same number.
The one that was sent to an Indian employee read: “I finally got two of you. Consider this your final warning. Leave Emirates and accept my offer before you and your family are hurt. We can get you easily. Shut your mouth and go to the royal, my two boys are waiting for you. Don’t think union can help you. Union is for Africans.”
The second message, which was directed to the African employee, read: “I finally got you. I’m sending you back to where you came from. Your nation thinks they own this country. Let me set the record straight, Emirates is not owned by your nation. Go find a job in SAA. Consider this your final warning, Leave Emirates ammicably (sic) and accept my offer before you and your family is hurt.(sic). We can get to you very easily.”
Satawu national spokesperson Amanda Tshemese said they were disturbed by these messages and said the union would seek a meeting with the airline management.
“It is very unacceptable to start with, we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour from anyone towards our members and workers. This is pure abuse of power and emotional blackmail,” said Tshemese.
According to the information independently obtained by the Daily News, the two staff members were allegedly being victimised for raising an increment and their pension fund issues with the management.
The union said workers in the agency had not received an increase despite Emirates giving all the staff an increase of between 50 and 70% which was cushioning after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two employees also confronted the company head-on after discovering that it was contributing 10% and not 11% to the pension fund as per the agreement. In an apparent response to the workers’ demand, the company issued them with retrenchment notices.
Tshemese said it was “corruption” that the employer was contributing 10% instead of 11%, saying the employer would have had to explain that first to the union. She said their members had a right to demand an increment.
The staff have since laid charges of intimidation with police.
KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said the matter was being investigated by Durban North police after an employee received a threatening message on her cellphone.
The employees referred all questions and requests for comment to the union.
The paper called the number where the messages were sent from but it went to voicemail.
The company, through its lawyers Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc, denied that the messages were sent by the company’s directors, employees or representatives but said it was aware of the issue.
“Our client is aware of the message that was sent to two of its employees, Nonkululeko Bhengu and Fiona Mohammed. The message was not sent by our client and/or any of its directors, employees and/or representatives. Our client is attending to investigate and determine the source of the message and has reported the matter to the police,” said the legal firm.
With regard to the salaries the company said it was not part of the Emirates group and only operated under its licence to market and sell its products but was not bound to follow any salary increases that the Emirates Group might give to their employees.
On the pension issue, the company said it had recently discovered that the contribution to the employee’s pension fund was being paid at 10% and not 11% of an employee’s salary, calling it an administrative error that the company was attending to.
The company said there would be no adverse effect on the employees.
“Emirates can confirm that it does not employ the parties that are currently in legal proceedings with our General Services Agent (GSA) in Durban, nor is affiliated in any way to our GSA’s employees,” an Emirates spokesperson said.
Daily News