Last-ditch attempt to avert Pretoria Zoo strike

Union leaders and Pretoria Zoo management are set to meet again on Thursday morning in a last-ditch attempt to avert a strike that could affect the feeding of animals and cleaning of enclosures.

The National Trade Union Congress (NTUC)‚ which represents about 120 general workers‚ has refused to budge on its demand for double pay for Sunday work and 1.5% for Saturday.

On Wednesday the NTUC‚ which has been given the green light to down tools by the CCMA‚ threatened to shut the gates and prevent anyone from entering the animal sanctuary from Thursday‚ if the two parties did not find each other.

Sophonia Machaba‚ NTUC national secretary‚ said they were not prepared to settle for anything other than their demands.

“We will meet at 10am with the management but our members have made it clear that our mandate is to get them what they want. What they want is double pay for working on Sundays and 1.5% for working on Saturdays‚” he said.

Pretoria Zoo spokesperson Craig Allenby said the demand was not financially viable as the establishment operated on a seven-day week programme and was a non-profit organisation.

Pretoria Zoo said it was committed to averting the strike but said a standard contingency plan was in place to ensure operations were not affected in case everything else fails.