Shouts of ”Viva” and ”Amandla” and the sound of whistles and vuvuzelas echoed through Johannesburg’s Park station on Monday as about 100 Metrorail workers protested against the company’s 4,5% wage offer.
The workers handed over a memorandum to Kevin Moonsamy, the manager of engineering at Metrorail, in which they asked for a 6,5% increase or they would consider other action.
”We keep quiet all the time and nothing happens. Inflation goes up, everything goes up, and we just stay behind,” said Chris de Koker, a Metrorail examiner and repairer.
Another worker, Jeff Badenhorst, said: ”They want to give us 4,5% and then they take away our overtime. We want 6,5% or we will continue to strike.”
The workers — men and women — are unhappy with the company’s current offer. One worker’s placard read: ”4,5% is less than R100 per month”. Another said: ”Give us 6,5 % and we are happy — 4,5 is war.”
Louis Badenhorst of the United Transport and Allied Trade Unions (Utatu) said: ”We will continue with this action until they give us what we want. We are a law-abiding union; if the court orders us to stop the strike, then we will pursue other action, through other channels.”
Utatu and the United Association of South Africa are asking for a 6,5% across-the-board increase.
After receiving the memorandum, Moonsamy said Metrorail’s management will not comment until it has read the memorandum.
Earlier, Metrorail said it would go to the Johannesburg Labour Court to stop the strike by Utatu members.
It said Utatu’s strike action is illegal.
Metrorail claimed Utatu did not submit the correct forms indicating its intention to strike, but Utatu denied this.
Metrorail said at least 65% of trains were running in Johannesburg on Monday morning. In Tshwane and Durban, 45% were operational, but there were severe disruptions in the Western Cape, with only 2% of trains operational.
The train company said the strike action has had minimum impact and it has contingency plans to transport thousands of commuters by buses.
The company has threatened striking workers with disciplinary action. — Sapa, I-Net Bridge