The president of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and fourteen other members have been notified to appear in Court in November to show why they should not be held in contempt for contravening the interdict secured by Telkom on 15 August 2016.

The interdict prohibits the CWU and its members from blockading Telkom entrances and exits, as well as from interfering with Telkom's operations.

A statement issued by Telkom today says its employees, along with contractors, customers, suppliers, and shoppers, this week, in various malls, have been subjected to threats and intimidation by the strikers.

"This includes an incident in which a brick was thrown through the car window of a non-striking employee as the employee was trying to leave a Telkom facility in Randburg," according to Telkom.

The Labour Court has ordered the 14 CWU members to submit written affidavits providing reasons why the court should not make the order final. All 14 CWU members have been ordered to pay Telkom's legal costs, reads the statement.

Jacqui O'Sullivan, Telkom spokesperson says security has become a high priority and this is the second occasion the labour Court has ruled against the CWU. "The safety of our staff and customers is of the utmost importance and we are relieved that the court has stepped in to put a stop to this criminal behaviour."

The Labour Court ruled against the CWU's application to interdict Telkom from completing the Section 189 (retrenchment) phase of the Company's restructuring of its corporate office on Wednesday. The Court described the union as "confrontational", "obstructionist" and noted that the CWU had withheld key facts from its founding affidavit.

Aubrey Tshabalala, General Secretary of CWU said the Union is happy to be described as "obstructionist" by the country's Labour Court if this is due to their opposition to job cuts and retrenchments. Tshabalala added, however, that the organisation respects the court's decision and will study the ruling in more depth.