/ 19 April 2000

SPOORNET UNIONS DECLARE DISPUTE

FOUR Spoornet unions have announced a dispute with the state-owned transport utility as two months of salary negotiations ended in deadlock on Monday. SA Footplate Union spokesman Chris de Vos said Spoornet will not go above a 5% increase and the unions are not prepared to accept less than 6,5%. The unions’ demand is based on an agreement with the other Transnet business units, Metrorail and Portnet, for a 6,5% across the board increase, he said. The unions, which include the Technical Workers’ Union, Salstaff and the Cosatu-affiliated SA Transport and Allied Workers Union, will give notice of the dispute to the Bargaining Council on Tuesday.