Press Statement dated 27 July 2018
With only two days left to reach an agreement to end the deadlock between the United National Transport Union (UNTU) and Bombela Operating Company (BOC), the Employer are still refusing to disclose its financial statements.
BOC contracted a second facilitator to try and break the deadlock and reach agreement on Friday after UNTU agreed to engage. However, when management was confronted by the facilitator, Tefo Raditapole, a seasoned mediator, the Company alleged that they were contractually prohibited from disclosing its financial statements.
“UNTU continues to demand a wage increase of 10%. But we remain blind as the Employer to date have not given the Union insight into the financial position of BOC.
“BOC claims to be contractually bound to pay their profits to a French owned company, but refuses to disclose what their profits are, says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
In the meanwhile, some of BOC employees cannot afford housing as they don’t qualify for RDP-houses because they earn above the threshold, but the majority don’t qualify or cannot afford a bond to buy a property.
The earliest shift of BOC starts at 03:00 in the morning, but the employees who have to work these shifts also cannot afford to rent rooms in the mostly upmarket areas next to the Gautrain. The Gautrain runs from Hatfield in Pretoria through Centurion, Midrand, Sandton and Rosebank to Park Station.
It also has a route going to the OR Tambo Airport.
According to Harris the latest shift stops working at 23:15 at night. For those employee’s public transport is non-existent that time of night. They can’t afford to pay specialized taxi services like Uber or Taxify.
“Some of these employees have no other alternative but to sleep on benches in Containers at the Midrand Gautrain Depot until the next morning when they have to walk 5 km to from the Depot to Allandale Road to get public transport to go home.
“Some of them don’t even go home as they will not have enough time to rest,” says Harris.
UNTU gave the Employer 48-hour notice earlier this week that our members will embark on a protected strike from Monday 30 July 2018 after the wage dispute could not be resolved at the Commission of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Bombela’s is offering UNTU members an 8.5% salary increase across the board but does not want to pay employees an incentive bonus.
UNTU is demanding the following based on the current global economic recession which has a devastating impact on the daily lives of all our members:
Basic Salary 10%
Housing Allowance R1600
Transport Allowance R800 or Staff card usage for Office workers
NWTS R64 per shift
Night Shift Allowance To be increased by 10%
Medical Aid Contribution 55 employer / 45 employee
Incentive Bonuses R20 000 for all employees.
Arnaud Legrand, Chief Executive Officer of Bombela, informed the Union on Thursday that all UNTU members will be locked out from Monday 30 July 2018 for the duration of the strike.
BOC have to serve UNTU with a 48-hour notice of their intention to lock-out but have not yet served the required notice in terms of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) on the Union.
UNTU represents more than 90% of all Bombela employees.
“UNTU are prepared to negotiate throughout the weekend to try and reach an agreement. For any responsible Union a strike is the last resort. But to date our demands have only been met with arrogance and the playing of games by the Employer,” says Harris.
UNTU would like to beforehand apologize to commuters who will be badly affected by the strike. Although BOC announced that it would be able to provide an alternative service, the Union doubt that the Employer will be able to do so. “We will have to wait and see,” says Harris.
The parties remain in deadlock but continue with talks.
Issued on behalf of United National Transport Union (UNTU) by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer