The current Transnet workers’ strike will continue if management refuse to engage unions constructively, the United Association of South Africa (Uasa) said on Wednesday.
”We are receiving conflicting messages from the trade and industry minister [Alec Erwin],” said Uasa official Leon Grobler.
”On the one hand, he says there will be no job losses in the restructuring process, that Transnet management will not act unilaterally and that he wants to meet with the union leaders on March 1. And on the other hand he adopts a high handed and
paternalistic approach, stating that the union leaders do not know what they want.”
Transnet workers who are members of the SA Transport and Allied workers Union (Satawu), Uasa, the SA Railways and Harbour Workers’ Union (Sarhwu) and the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) are on strike, protesting Transnet’s restructuring plan.
The industrial action has left thousands of Metrorail train commuters stranded with Soweto being among the most hard-hit areas.
On Tuesday, Erwin described the strike as misguided, with no clear objectives.
He said there had been ”more than enough opportunity” for consultation on the structure of Transnet and that it was time to move forward to build and strengthen Transnet.
Grobler said workers fully understood the need for restructuring.
”We are ready to engage in bona fide discussions on an urgent basis. What we however cannot do is to engage in discussions where we will only be paid lip service by either the minister or Transnet management.”
Metrorail workers, together with those of Spoornet, SA Port Operations, the National Ports Authority, Petronet, Transwerk, Autopax, Freightdynamics, and a number of smaller business units at Transnet were taking part in the strike in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West. – Sapa