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Business Times reports that Transnet says it has contingency plans in place to cushion the impact should the United National Transport Union (Untu) go ahead with a threatened strike.
Untu represents the majority of workers at the ports and rail company. But, Transnet added that while plans were in place, it was confident the strike would be averted – thanks to a decision by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to mediate in the dispute. The union has refused to sign a three-year wage agreement that has been accepted by a rival union, the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), for increases of 6% in the first and second years, and 5.5% in the third year. Its counterproposal of a 10% wage increase has been rejected outright by Transnet as unaffordable. The union is balloting members on whether to down tools again after it last did so in 2022. A strike will almost certainly cripple the rail and logistics entity, which has been trying to recover from years of underinvestment in infrastructure and from state capture. Untu’s Atenkosi Plaatjie said the balloting process was under way and was expected to be completed this week. She said Untu had been running two parallel processes, one via digital submissions, while officials were also holding meetings with members at different Transnet depots countrywide. “It is a tedious process which is necessary as we want it to be fair, transparent and democratic,” she explained.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only)
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