Transnet workers in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State ended their second day of strikes on Tuesday with unions claiming success.
”No matter which way you try and spin it, there’s no doubt the strike has been effective,” the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union’s (Satawu) Randall Howard said.
Following the start of the strike on Monday against the way restructuring at the parastatal was being handled, Howard said management was listening to them ”with a slightly different ear”.
Between 4 000 and 5 000 workers went on strike nationwide, with
the Durban container terminal bearing the brunt of the action. It operated at only 40% capacity, Transnet’s executive manager for strategy Pradeep Maharaj said.
Unions claimed participation by between 10 000 and 15 000 workers.
Metrorail spokesperson Thandi Mlangeni said trains in Durban ran at 32% capacity on Tuesday morning.
No jobs would be lost during Transnet’s restructuring into a concentrated rail and freight company, Maharaj said on Tuesday.
”In exiting Transnet, those employee benefits will be protected and are protected by the Labour Relations Act.”
The process was in the interest of the country’s economy as it would lead to greater investment and ultimately to more job creation, he said.
Satawu, however, thought jobs could be lost.
”Everything possible must be done to avoid it [job losses] and it [restructuring] has to be done in that spirit,” Howard said.
The first wave of strikes was due to end on Wednesday, culminating in a march in Durban on that day.
Transnet employees in the Eastern Cape would strike on February 13, followed by the Northern and Western Cape two days later.
Transnet workers in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo would follow suit on February 20.
If the dispute had not been resolved by then, unions have threatened a national strike on March 6.
Transnet has about 85 000 workers.
During a meeting on Monday, unions presented Transnet with a ”fairly detailed” list of the issues that gave rise to the dispute, as well as the solutions they expected. The company was expected to respond to these on Thursday.
Monday afternoon’s meeting with Transnet management in Johannesburg had left unions ”greatly disappointed”, United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) spokesperson Chris de Vos said.
”They continue with their arrogant style of management.”
Along with Satawu and Utatu, also striking were members of the SA Railways and Harbour Workers Union (Sarhwu) and the United Association of SA (Uasa).
Transnet wanted to privatise some businesses or parts of business units such as Freightdynamics, Transnet Pension Fund Administration, Autopax and the Blue Train.
SAA, Metrorail and Shosholoza Meyl would be moved out of Transnet, but would remain publicly owned, the unions said.
Collective bargaining rights, pension rights, and travel concessions were among the matters still to be finalised. – Sapa