Members of a labour union taking part in strike action against Metrorail will march to the train operator’s head office in Johannesburg on Monday.
Chris de Vos, the general secretary of the United Transport and Allied Trade Unions (Utatu), which represents around 1 500 people, said members would meet at Park Station in Johannesburg to protest against a 4,5% wage increase being offered by Metrorail.
”We will meet at Park Station at 9am and will march to Metrorail’s offices,” he said.
De Vos said no Metrorail trains were running in Cape Town while in Pretoria and Durban rail transport was functioning at 50%.
He said many of his members had been put off the strike because of a threat by Metrorail.
”What put members off is that yesterday [Sunday] Metrorail issued a notice saying this was an illegal strike. We are going to prove in court today that they are wrong.
”We followed the right process. This is one of their dirty tricks.”
He said rail transport in the greater Johannesburg region was not fully functioning.
Metrorail said about 68% of its trains are running in the region. In Pretoria and Durban, it was 45% and in Cape Town only two percent of trains were operating.
Utatu and the 2 500-member United Association of South Africa (Uasa) are asking for a 6,5% across the board increase.
Metrorail said it had offered a ”generous 5,5% increase”.
The unions say this is false and the increase is actually 4,5%.
Gerhard Ueckermann, a spokesperson for Uasa, said his members had told him that there have been service disruptions in Cape Town, Pretoria and Germiston.
”According to my representatives in Cape Town, Pretoria and Germiston there have been service disruptions,” he said.
Ueckermann said the Hamburg station on the West Rand was not functioning at all.
”I visited Hamburg station this morning. It is not functioning at all and no alternative transport has been provided.”
Ueckermann said the union’s members were critical workers at Metrorail.
”We represent critical grades, such as train drivers and train control officers,” he said.
”Train control officers are the people in charge of signals. They give right of way to depart or stop. Without those you cannot have a correct service. It won’t be effective.”
The two unions are asking for a 6,5% across the board increase.
Ueckermann said Metrorail had claimed that it was offering 5,5%, but this extra percent was a ”notch increase”.
”Very few workers have actually reached their maximum notch.”
Metrorail spokesperson Thandi Mlangeni said they had provided a bus service for stranded commuters. However, in Gauteng, some commuters who said they had been waiting since 4am for transport.
”You must remember that a bus can take 60 people. So there will be delays,” Mlangeni said.
Most of the striking workers are train drivers and train control officers, she said.
Mlangeni said members of Utatu who went on strike would have to face a disciplinary hearing as their action was illegal. Only Uasa’s strike was legal, she said.
”We are not really going to enter into negotiations,” she said.
”Our offer is fair. it is above inflation. It is what we are mandated by our shareholders, which is Transnet.” – Sapa