News24 Business reports that members of the United National Transport Union (Untu) have voted in favour of a wage strike at Transnet.
According to the union, its 26 000 members, including port and rail workers, will embark on a strike if last-ditch wage talks with Transnet at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) fail. Both the union and the state logistics company have been meeting this week with the CCMA in an attempt to agree on wage increases. This after initial wage negotiations and subsequent disputes at the Transnet Bargaining Council fell through. The talks at the CCMA began last week and will conclude on 15 May. Untu spokesperson Antenkosi Plaatjies indicated: “In a display of the full force and power of collective bargaining, the majority of ballots cast by our members is in favour of taking to the streets to demand a wage increment that reflects the deepening economic crisis facing Transnet employees and job security, in the form of a non-retrenchment clause, which is the heart of the impasse. The clear and uncompromising message is that Untu members are willing to down tools.” She added that members had voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of a strike, but the union was still committed to talks at the CCMA and to resolving the ongoing dipsute. The union is expected to deliver a 48-hour strike notice to Transnet if the CCMA talks fail. Transnet responded: “Despite the vote in favour of an industrial action, we remain committed to resolving the wage dispute. Transnet’s immediate priority, should Untu continue with a strike, is to ensure business continuity and the safety of our employees and assets.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Na'ilah Ebrahim at News24 Business (subscription or trial registration required)
- Read too, Untu makes one last attempt to reach a wage deal with Transnet before major strike, at The Citizen
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page