BL Premium reports that unions at Transnet on Sunday spurned the rail utility’s most recent wage offer and vowed to continue with their strike.

The United National Transport Union (Untu), the second-biggest union at Transnet, said it would hold further talks with the employer on Monday. The SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), the largest at the rail utility, has also dug in its heels, saying its members would continue on the picket line unless Transnet came back with a better offer. Satawu and Untu are demanding an increase above the inflation rate of 7.6%. Untu general secretary Cobus van Vuuren said that while the strike would continue at the regular picketing sites, talks were set to continue in a bid to end the impasse. “The Untu wage negotiation team and Transnet management will be engaging in further discussions on Monday and members will be advised of the outcome,” said Van Vuuren. The union on Sunday disputed reports that it had no problem with the latest single-digit offer on condition that jobs were safe. Satawu deputy general secretary Anele Kiet advised that its more than 20,000 members who were on strike in all nine provinces were clear that the strike must go on. “Until Transnet comes back to us with a meaningful offer, the strike continues. We have notified the CCMA. Our members want a double-digit or an above inflation-related increase, and also a guarantee that the state-owned entity won’t shed jobs,” said Kiet.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mary Papayya at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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