A meeting between Transnet unions and Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin yielded progress on Monday after another day of national strikes crippled the transport industry.
”(Erwin) has agreed that government will facilitate a resolution of certain pension issues related to Metrorail,” said his spokeswoman Gaynor Kast.
Unions were angry that they had not been consulted ahead of the signing of a sale agreement to transfer Metrorail and Shosholoza out of Transnet from April 1.
They had not been informed of working conditions under the agreement and were concerned that benefits would be lost through the transferral of pension funds.
”These matters cannot easily be resolved by the parties and this is causing difficulties in the negotiations process,” said Kast.
The government would examine the matters and make proposals to deal with the issues by March 20.
The unions would meet Transnet management within 10 days of consulting on the proposals.
While Transnet reported that Monday’s one-day strike had minimal impact during the day, the four trade unions involved in the dispute with the parastatal said early indications were that the industrial action was ”biting hard”.
Trade unions at loggerheads with Transnet — the South African Rail and Harbours Workers Union, South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, United Association of South Africa as well as the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) — marched in various parts of South Africa on Monday.
”The majority of Transnet’s services throughout the country are running satisfactorily … Most of our divisions have reported high- to full-operating capacity,” Transnet spokesperson John Dludlu said in a statement.
The unions, which reported that a majority of their 50 000 membership-base had heeded their call to strike, however, noted that there were no crane movements at the Durban container depot, no trains moving on the Sishen-Saldanha iron-ore rail line and no activity at Spoornet’s Karzene yard in central
Gauteng.
Transnet conceded that its rail-passenger service, Metrorail, was negatively affected by the national strike in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Tshwane, while noting that trains in the Eastern Cape were running at full capacity.
Meanwhile, the South African Chamber of Business anticipates that Monday’s national mass action will cost the South African economy up to R200-million.
Dludlu could not comment on the financial losses as estimated by the chamber or turnout levels by striking employees, although he expressed doubts on figures provided by the unions.
Utatu general secretary Chris de Vos said the parastatal was employing scab labour in the Eastern Cape and disputed Transnet’s assertion that its operations were running satisfactorily.
He accused Transnet of overstepping the safety mark.
This the company did to satisfy its clients, but by so doing also put the lives of commuters in danger by employing unsafe measures ”just to keep the wheel running”, he asserted.
Poor attendance in Durban was ascribed to heavy rain while the Cape Town march attracted 1 500, with 5 000 in Johannesburg marching on Umjantshi House, where unionists handed over a memorandum to Transnet CEO Maria Ramos.
Ramos was lifted onto a truck when workers demanded to see the woman they claim never consulted them about the restructuring.
”I am not at liberty to say much. However, I assure you I will not walk away from my word. Let us wait and see what comes out of the meeting with Minster Alec Erwin this afternoon, and then we can take it from there. We are only here to build a stronger Transnet,” Ramos said, to loud boos from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi threatened that if Transnet did not listen to the demands of the workers, they would mobilise all Cosatu’s and the Federation of Unions of South Africa’s members (3-million) to strike in sympathy.
”You will not only face 50 000 angry workers, but millions more when they take to the streets,” Vavi said.
Earlier on Monday, thousands of striking workers were bussed in to Johannesburg.
”Phansi ngo Maria Ramos [down with Maria Ramos]. You are a gemors [useless],” angry trade unionists shouted.
They held placards reading ”Voertsek Ramos”, calling on her to negotiate in a manner which they say should be fair to all workers. The unions demanded ”an end to bad-faith negotiations”.
The South African Communist Party also backed the action, saying the demands of the workers were reasonable.
DA: Transnet must play open cards with unions
The Transnet strike is a disaster for the economy and all measures must be taken to prevent the problem from continuing, the official opposition Democratic Alliance said in a statement on Monday.
”Transnet must therefore ensure that it plays open cards with the unions at all times. It is no good having Minister Alec Erwin insist that there will be no job losses if Transnet is unwilling to commit formally to this. This can only create the impression that management is being disingenuous about the real situation,” the statement said.
”If there are to be job losses Transnet management must explain honestly why and what the details will be. Transnet should also do everything in its power to prevent job losses in the process,” the DA added.
Meanwhile, the unions must understand that the rail network needed to be restructured in the broader national interest, the DA noted.
”If we continue to have a grossly inefficient transport system we can never aspire to growth figures of six, seven and eight percent, which South Africa as a developing county needs if we are to provide job opportunities for all our people,” the statement concluded. — Sapa and I-Net Bridge