Transnet and four unions have embarked on a new collective approach to resolving the long-running dispute over plans to restructure the group into a focused and efficient state-owned freight transport company, a spokesperson for the transport parastatal said on Thursday evening.
The unions are the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union, the United Transport and Allied Trade Union, the United Association of South Africa and the South African Railways and Harbour Workers’ Union.
The spokesperson said a key element of this approach was the establishment of the Strategic Leadership Forum (SLF), which met for the first time on Wednesday under the leadership of Transnet’s group chief executive Maria Ramos to agree a way forward on ironing out outstanding issues in the dispute and charting a fresh course in the engagement between labour and management.
Among others, members of the forum agreed the establishment of three task teams to deal with the critical differences in the dispute. Issues to be addressed by the joint labour-management teams include:
- defining the role of the SLF;
- agreeing the terms of the resolution of the current dispute;
- the proposed shape and role of some of Transnet’s non-core business units; and
- the reorganisation of certain functions of the group’s core business units.
The task teams began their intense work programme on Thursday and are due to report at the next SLF meeting in early April.
“Pending the finalisation of this work in two weeks, labour has agreed to suspend industrial action and Transnet has pledged not to undertake any unilateral decisions on the disputed issues until the next SLF meeting.
“We believe yesterday’s meeting, which was frank and constructive, has laid a good platform to resolve the dispute,” Transnet said in a statement.
It said management and labour have also recommitted themselves to “building Transnet into a choice and sustainable employer that all South Africans can rely on and that we can all be proud of”.
“To give this process a real chance to succeed, we will not be issuing further statements while the work of the task teams is under way,” it added.
Transnet’s team comprises the group’s executive committee, while the unions are represented by senior leaders including presidents and secretary generals, underscoring the significance of the engagement. — I-Net Bridge