Union bosses on Monday morning said they were hoping for a massive turnout as thousands were expected to down tools over Transnet’s restructuring plans.
”The message here is that we will not back-off until Transnet stops its unilateral management style and arrogance,” South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) general secretary Randall Howard said.
”There are people who gave their blood for this democracy, so Transnet must listen.”
As about 50 000 workers were expected to stay away, Howard said commuters would experience transport problems especially during peak hours.
Transnet is the holding company for Spoornet, Petronet, Metrorail and the National Ports Authority.
Transnet’s John Dludlu earlier described how the restructuring process would take place.
”First in the transformation process, some companies belonging to us will be transferred to government. And secondly, other units will be sold to the private sector,” he said.
Whether it was a sale or transfer to the government, Dludlu said the conditions or service would not change, neither would jobs be lost as a result of the restructuring.
But unions were concerned that workers would lose benefits due to the transferral of pension funds, and that they had not been informed of the service conditions contained in the sale agreement.
The mediation process fell apart at the weekend when Transnet management announced that they had signed a sale agreement for Metrorail with the SA Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC), effective from April 1.
”There will be no mediation unless unilateral decision making is stopped,” Howard said.
Metrorail earlier urged commuters to seek alternative transport and said it would be making contingency plans to run a limited train service.
As a result of the strike, rail services in the greater Johannesburg area were severely affected on Monday.
”A significantly reduced train service will be running in all the corridors, with trains running at least an hour apart,” spokesperson Brenda Motau said.
”At the Randfontein corridor, no train service is currently running, however busses have been provided to cater for season ticket holders.”
In some areas, where operationally possible, the train service was being supplemented by busses. Only commuters who were already in possession of valid train tickets were allowed to use busses contracted by Metrorail, she said.
The Wits regional offices would remain closed until further notice. – Sapa