Press Statement dated 13 August 2018
Members of the United National Transport Union (UNTU), the majority of employees working for the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), will finally share in the profits of the Gautrain when an R5 000 incentive bonus is paid out to each of them in December 2018.
This comes after two Senior Commissioners of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) managed to secure a wage agreement between the parties after Dennis George, General Secretary of UNTU’s affiliated federation, FEDUSA, intervened.
“It was a very difficult and robust negotiation process, but UNTU is satisfied that this agreement is in the best interest of each member to adhere to their demands and bring an end to the first ever two weeks #GautrainStrike,” says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
UNTU members will get an 8% basic salary increase this year. The basic salary of the lowest levels will be increased to a minimum of R8 500.
The housing allowance will be increased to R900 per month. The rest of the allowances will be increased with 8%.
Harris says the members will received a R5 000 incentive bonus in December 2018. A second incentive payment of a maximum of R5 000 to be determined on the performance of the Gautrain, will be paid out in September next year.
“This is breakthrough for #UNTU-members. The incentive bonus was one of the major issues throughout the wage negotiations whereas management to date refused to disclose its financial statements in accordance with the Labour Relations Act (LRA).
“With this agreement, the best interest of UNTU members whom have suffered the loss of going without pay for two weeks while on strike, is served. Although our members had to take a leap from their initial demands, #UNTU believes that this agreement has set the president of a more comprehensive wage agreement for the future to address historic wage demands often neglected in the deal breaker,” says Harris.
#UNTU members will return to work now as soon as BOC are able to schedule the necessary rosters bringing an end to the #GautrainStrike which started on Monday, the 30 July 2018.
Harris says that UNTU will declare a dispute against BOC’s inconsistent application of the lock-out rules in terms of the LRA. The dispute will be referred to the CCMA.
“BOC selectively targeted certain employees by sending them an SMS instructing then that they are locked out from Midnight 30 July 2018. They were informed that they were locked out of the Gautrain Depots and informed that they must enjoy their “rest” where ever they were. Their access cards were blocked.
“UNTU represents 380 of the 420 BOC employees. In terms of the LRA the Employer does have the right to lock-out all Union-members, but not target only certain ones,” says Harris.
George promised UNTU members attending the UNTU mass meeting outside the Gautrain Depot in Midrand that Fedusa will support UNTU to challenge BOC’s blunt refusal to declare its financial statement’s even it “we need to take it to the Constitutional Court.”
Issued on behalf of United National Transport Union (UNTU) by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer