Mail & Guardian reports that an emergency meeting between unions and Transnet has failed to ward off a strike planned for next Monday which will see more than 80% of staff down tools.

Transnet’s COO Portia Derby requested the meeting with the leadership of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) and the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) to discuss the salary dispute and the pending strike action declared by both unions. Transnet said it could increase its 1.5% offer to 3%, effective from April 2022. Back pay for the April to September period would be paid in three equal payments between January and March 2023. Untu and Satawu have demanded increases of between 12% and 13.5%. UNTU said in a statement that Transnet was still pleading poverty and that the unions had declined the offer and refused to suspend the strike action. UNTU also raised concerns about holding negotiations outside formal bargaining council structures. Satawu’s Amanda Tshemese reported: “Even after an intervention request from Satawu to minister of finance Enoch Godongwana and minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan, no concrete response has been communicated from both departments to stop the strike action.”

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mandisa Ndlovu at Mail & Guardian
• Read too, Transnet’s new deal to workers unlikely to avert strike, at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page