The current Transnet workers’ strike will accomplish nothing that the company has not already committed to, management said on Wednesday.
”The strike merely affects the economy which, as the past few days illustrate, hurts the most vulnerable members of our society,” Transnet spokesperson John Dludlu said.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Transnet workers took to the streets in Johannesburg in protest against the firm’s restructuring plans.
The unions on strike are the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), the United Association of South Africa (Uasa), the South African Railways and Harbour Workers’ Union (Sarhwu) and the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu).
In other developments on Wednesday, some of the unions involved in the strike also tackled each other in the media.
Satawu general secretary Randall Howard accused Uasa of a ”lackadaisical attitude” for failing to participate in a march in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Uasa denied the charge.
”Yes, we did not attend the march in Pretoria yesterday [Tuesday], but we cannot follow Satawu around like puppy dogs. We make our own decisions,” Grobler said.
Minister
Howard also lashed out at Minister of Public Enterprises Alec Erwin who said by statement on Tuesday that the strike is misguided and has no clear objectives. The remarks followed a march by strikers to his office.
Erwin said there has been ”more than enough opportunity” for consultation on the structure of Transnet, adding: ”It is time to move forward to build and strengthen Transnet and not to needlessly inconvenience commuters who only stand to benefit.”
Howard said the statement undermines Erwin’s credibility, as it was released ”literally immediately after receiving the memorandum”, which indicates the statement was prepared well ahead of time — and without taking into account labour’s grievances.
”More disturbing is that fact that the minister has left himself no room to respond objectively to our memorandum as he endorses the consultation as sufficient and compliments the management for their management of the process.
”The fundamental question is how we and the members who came in their thousands trust his word that there will be no retrenchments given his subjective position,” Howard said.
”This, read together with the reactionary assertion that the strike is misguided and its objectives unclear, is a complete disrespect to the struggle our members have engaged in. This will only fuel the anger of our members and result in an intensification toward the March 6 national strike action as this pure arrogance on his part.
”A further assertion that it is not the policy of the ANC [African National Congress] and government to co-determine with workers but to consult strategically is noted. Why is it that a union that is part of the revolutionary alliance cannot be co-determined with?
”This kind of political arrogance creating a distance between themselves and their constituencies will be done at their own peril,” Howard said.
”We will demonstrate to the minister of public enterprises how ‘misguided’ we can be on March 6 when we will bring commuter transport, freight exports lines, business unit and subsidiaries including SAA [South African Airways] to a complete standstill for 24 hours.”
Ramos
Howard also had harsh words for Transnet CE Maria Ramos.
”Transnet workers were extremely angry but not entirely surprised by the non-appearance of Transnet group CE Maria Ramos today to receive the memorandum at her head office in Carlton Centre, Johannesburg.
”Workers believe that this behaviour vindicates them in their repeated assertions that she and her leadership have no regard for workers and that she does not believe workers deserve to have their appointments honoured,” Howard said.
He thanked the marchers for their discipline ”in spite of this provocation”.
”Their principled stand in refusing to hand it over to her hangers-on also showed just how far they have come in their growth as an organisation. Their numbers today and the order in which they conducted themselves shows the extreme level of maturity and integrity with which they conduct themselves,” Howard added.
He also ruled out third-party mediation until Ramos accepts their memorandum and set March 6 as the date for doing so.
Meanwhile, Metrorail said train services were gradually returning to normal in Gauteng. — Sapa