CCMA ISSUES STRIKE CERTIFICATE AGAINST PRASA

The members of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) within the Passenger Rail Agency of
South Africa (PRASA), has the right to embark on a protected strike within 48 hours.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Johannesburg, issued UNTU
and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) with a certificate of nonresolution.
This comes after attempts to conciliate the dispute UNTU declared against PRASA
regarding medical brokers and medical aids, failed to be resolved yesterday.
A Management team from PRASA arrived at the CCMA without a mandate. They were unable to
obtain a mandate even after a Senior Commissioner warned the passenger rail operator that it
cannot avoid having a strike certificate issued, less than an hour before wage negotiations were to
commence for 2017.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says the CCMA certificate clearly states that this is a
matter of mutual interest that allows the Unions to request their members to consider a strike. If the
Union decides to go ahead with the strike, they must give PRASA 48-hours’ notice of their decision.
“This is suicidal by PRASA. All the wheels of the state-owned enterprise have now come off. If
Parliament and the rest of Government does not take note of the pathetic lack of management at
PRASA and act now, it will be millions of South African commuters – who are dependent on this
poor service, who will be paying the price due to the lack of any other form of public transport.
“The relationship between organized labour and PRASA is at its lowest in the entire existence of the
business. UNTU will obtain a mandate from its members to strike now or await the possible
deadlock in wage negotiation and then seek a mandate for strike action or not,” says Harris.
The dispute surrounding PRASA’s unilateral appointment of a medical broker and the limited choice
of medical aids for PRASA employees was part of the 19 disputes UNTU declared against
passenger rail operator last year.
UNTU has applied to the Labour Court in Johannesburg, for a court order to force PRASA to comply
with the terms of the collective agreement, which the passenger rail operator signed last year with
UNTU regarding the 19 disputes. The union is awaiting a date for the matter to be heard.

UNTU declared a separate dispute on the issue of the appointment of a medical broker and limited
medical aids issue in December last year after PRASA refused to give clarity on the contract of the
broker.
UNTU’s members had to make a choice on a new medical broker in January 2017, but there were
no new plans in place from any medical broker for members to compare and make an informed
choice.
After the strike certificate was issued, PRASA management came unprepared to the negotiating
table. PRASA’s financial manager, who was supposed to present its financial situation to the
Unions, was not present.
The wage negotiations continue today.
UNTU Greetings.
S CARSTENS
Media and Liaison Officer
Obo
SA HARRIS
GENERAL SECRETARY