/ 10 June 2005

Union vows to continue Metrorail fight

The fight is not over in the Metrorail workers’ dispute, the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) said on Friday.

”We did not suspend the strike notice or sign an agreement,” said Chris de Vos, Utatu general secretary.

”We are still going to try to get the CCMA [Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration] involved … and continue the battle,” he said.

Metrorail management has refused to get the CCMA involved.

De Vos said 99,95% of Utatu members were back at work, although the union has not accepted Metrorail’s 4,5% salary increase offer.

The United Association of South Africa (Uasa) has accepted the offer and many of its members returned to work on Thursday.

Gerhard Ueckermann, senior sectoral manager of Uasa’s transport workers’ sector, said although they had compromised on the wage offer, they had succeeded in other areas.

”The disparity in salaries between Metrorail and Spoornet workers has been addressed,” he said.

Management had also committed itself to looking into improving the working conditions at the workplace, and ensuring the consolidation of Metrorail and the SA Rail Commuter Corporation would be orderly and conducted in a way that both maintained or improved conditions of employment.

On Friday morning, Metrorail trains on Gauteng’s East Rand were running up to 90 minutes late as a cable had been stolen at the major junction at Germiston Central station.

Thandi Mlangeni, a Metrorail spokesperson, said that this had disrupted the signals system and was delaying trains from Pretoria, Vereeniging, Daveyton and Springs.

She confirmed that most Metrorail workers had returned to work and said all other train services nationwide were running normally.

The strike, which started on Monday, left tens of thousands commuters stranded across the country. – Sapa