The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) must now decide if they are going to implement a 10% salary increase for its employees as of 1 April 2017, or else the country will face a national strike of its passenger rail service.
Labour put their bottom line on the table this afternoon, at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), after the employer tried almost every delaying tactic in the book to frustrate the conciliation of the wage dispute.
Prasa only had a mandate to offer a 6% increase, but wanted to park all the other issues to be deliberated at the Prasa Bargaining Forum. Labour refused to agree.
The Commissioner postponed the conciliation to 11 April 2017. If Prasa does not come to the party by then, a certificate of non-resolution will be issued.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of the United National Transport Union (UNTU), says the certificate will give Labour the right to embark on a protected national strike within 48 hours after informing the employer of its intent.
“Labour is tired of Prasa’s games, which is detrimental to the members who are frustrated and struggling to put food on the table with the continued rise in living costs.
“Labour’s final demand is a 10% salary increase, a R700 medical allowance, a R50 risk allowance per shift, an increase to R10 per hour on the night shift allowance and an increase to R120 on the standby allowance per shift. That’s it. We have moved from 20%. Prasa must pay up or our members will put on their tekkies for an indefinite protected strike,” says Harris.
This comes after a Commissioner of the CCMA tried her utmost best to conciliate the wage dispute, but the employer was once again not prepared to negotiate in good faith.
Harris warned the Commissioner at the start of the meeting to separate the negotiating teams of Labour and Management to prevent confrontation and to ensure that the process runs smoothly. She followed his advice.
Harris says UNTU has lost all its trust in Prasa. “There is no relationship between us.”
“UNTU is sick and tired of Prasa’s constant attempts to mislead the Commissioner, by questioning terms of previous collective agreements and expecting Labour to clarify it to them. It is clear Prasa management came here without a mandate and totally unprepared,” says Harris.
Labour referred the wage dispute to the CCMA for conciliation after its members declined Prasa’s conditional 4, 5% salary offer.
For more information contact Steve Harris on 082 566 5516.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail sonja@untu.co.za or phone 082 463 6806.
