The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) on Monday distanced itself from a countrywide Metrorail strike after reaching an agreement with the commuter rail service.
”Satawu wishes to confirm that it is not party to the current strike at Metrorail as a result of having signed an agreement that secured an ei8% [increase],” Satawu general secretary Randall Howard said in a statement.
It would be backdated from April 1. Also included in the deal was an agreement to convert fixed-term contract workers into permanent employees by April 1 2010.
Howard said Satawu respected the right of the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) to strike.
It, however, said Utatu’s claims that Metrorail was running at 30% capacity were untrue.
”The only operation that has been severely affected … is in the Western Cape…”
The Eastern Cape was at full capacity while KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were at 80% each.
Train drivers started the countrywide strike on Monday morning after salary talks with Metrorail collapsed. Workers picketed outside the company’s offices in Durban, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Utatu represented between 2 500 and 2 800 Metrorail workers — train drivers and most of the admin staff, including ticket sellers.
The union’s spokesperson, Pieter Greyling, said workers had left their posts and would continue picketing outside Metrorail’s regional offices on Tuesday morning.
”This strike will continue until the company puts a better offer on the table,” Greyling said.
The main sticking point in negotiations was a proposed new limitation on the number of overtime hours workers could claim.
”This will mean that our people could end up earning between R4 000 and R6 000 less per month. These people have been working this overtime for years now, and now the company wants to start limiting it.”
Metrorail spokesperson in the Western Cape Rianna Scott said it managed to provide about 30% of its usual service in the province by Monday afternoon.
”Today was similar to Sunday service, trains are running between 60 and 90 minutes apart.
”We expect the situation to be the same tomorrow [Tuesday]; if commuters need to get to work or an exam on time, we suggest that they use alternative transport, such as a minibus taxi or a bus,” Scott said.
Greyling said there were no talks between parties at present, but the union hoped there would be pressure from the public for a speedy resolution to the dispute.
Metrorail’s top management was in talks with their regions.
The spokesperson for Metrorail’s parent company, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Tiro Holele, was not able to comment immediately. — Sapa