The United National Transport Union (UNTU) has been on the forefront of fighting the spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic long before President Cyril Ramaphosa declared it a national disaster on 23 March 2020.
It was thanks to UNTU that Government realised that there was no way that they could protect millions of commuters using the passenger trains of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) or the Gautrain against the deadly virus.
Due to the overcrowding of the trains at peak-times all passenger train services had to be stopped.
The leadership of UNTU worked non-stop to provide the management teams of Transnet and Prasa with insight about the required personal protective equipment (PPE’s), the sanitation of rest rooms and vehicles, the amount of employees allowed to travel per vehicle and the manner in which high risk employees should be treated without having to disclose confidential medical information.
Unfortunately, thousands of UNTU members in Transnet and Prasa were forced to work during the five-week lockdown period because their jobs had been declared essential services in regulations issued in terms of the Disaster Management Act.
This is a unique situation for the first time in UNTU’s history over 110 years. When this Act was implemented, it trumped any other Act, regulations issued in terms of any other Act, or any existing collective agreements that might prevent Government doing everything within its means to combat the disaster, in this case the spreading of the COVID-19 virus.
Within days of the start of the lockdown at midnight on 26 March 2020 the Kumba Iron Ore Mine in Sishen successfully applied to the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mr Gwede Mantasha, for the reopening of the mine under new regulations that were issued.
UNTU questioned the Minister on his decision and is still awaiting his response.
The result was that the Iron Ore line between Sishen and Saldanha was placed back in business by Transnet and had to be managed as far as possible to bring stability in the work environment while ensuring that our members are provided with PPE’s and that the cabins of locomotives are sanitised daily.
On 3 April 2020 there was a telephone conference with Transnet Chief Officer of Human Capital Khaya Ngema about the Transnet Container Terminals in Cape Town. A second meeting was held on Sunday 5 April 2020.
Both meetings were very frustrating to the leadership of UNTU as it was clear that Transnet Group had been continuously misinformed by the management of Transnet Port Terminals in Cape Town as indicated in the various WhatsApp messages that I quote from:
- 5 April 2020: Mr Velile Dube to Mr Ngema:
“2000 masks arriving this evening at CTCT and will be supplemented with mask consignment arriving tomorrow. Additional shipment will also be coming from Durban midweek. Kind regards Vilele
- “We also receiving additional gloves tomorrow for all terminals. They will land in CT and be distributed from there. So, masks, gloves, sanitisers are being covered overall.”
Then Transnet decided to implement more teams whilst most employees did not have enough PPE’s.
Fortunately, sanity prevailed as UNTU leadership were informed by Mr Ngema that the plan to increase production will only be implemented on the condition that the Employer is able to supply all its employees with the necessary PPE’s.
On 7 April 2020 UNTU’s full-time trade union representatives (FTUR’s) participated in a telephone conference with the Acting Chief Executive Michelle Phillips. Afterwards UNTU members were informed that they were to offload a cargo with vehicles on it in the Port of Port of Elizabeth.
Management had a very threatening attitude with UNTU FTUR’s who questioned if the vehicles could be considered as part of essential services as clearly repeatedly stated by President Ramaphosa.
UNTU leadership intervened and arranged a telephone conference for labour with the Group Chief Executive, Portia Derby, of Transnet at 19:00 on 7 April 2020.
The result was that the Union managed to stop the offloading of the vehicles with a clear understanding that Transnet Management will engage with UNTU leadership prior to extending the services of Transnet which requires more employees to report back to work during the lockdown period.
The parties also concluded that the COVID-19 Committee which was agreed on at Transnet Corporate Level on 26 March 2020 was to be revived.
On Thursday 9 April 2020 at 16:00 the first meeting of the Transnet COVID-19 Committee was held. UNTU demanded that all employees who had to work, must be issued with hand sanitizer, masks and gloves.
Transnet Management was of the view that only frontline employees (those having direct contact with vessels) must be issued with masks and gloves. The meeting concluded for Management to seek a mandate from their principals over UNTU’s demand.
Just after 20:00 on the same day President Ramaphosa extended the lockdown with another two weeks to midnight 30 April 2020.
“The struggle against the coronavirus is far from over. We are only at the beginning of a monumental struggle that demands our every resource and our every effort. We cannot relax. We cannot be complacent,” President Ramaphosa said.
On 10 April 2020 Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that all South Africans should wear cloth masks which can easily be home made with a few layers of fabric.
“Wearing a mask when in public places, especially crowded places, can help slow the spread COVID-19. Even when wearing a mask, hand-washing and social distancing remain the most important interventions to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Mr Mkhize said.
On 14 April 2020 there was an incident at the Transnet Container Terminal in Cape Town when a health worker of a private service provider reported being ill.
Once again, this raised fear amongst UNTU members who demanded that they wanted to be issued with masks, gloves, and hand sanitiser. Transnet Management agreed to obtain the services of a contractor to deep clean the cranes and the facilities.
UNTU Leadership wanted to know from Transnet Group what had happened to all the PPE’s promised by Mr Dube on 5 April 2020 as it appeared that both the Union and Transnet Group where misled to believe that enough PPE’s where provided.
The COVID-19 Committee had a telephone conference yesterday at 12:00 and again at 16:00. Transnet Group could not give UNTU the undertaking that all members will be supplied with masks in line with the request from the Minister of Health.
Once again, the Management of TPT stated that all employees were issued with the PPE’s and that they did not experience any shortages. This was a total contradiction to the feedback UNTU received from our FTUR’s and our trade union representatives (TUR’s) in the field.
The meeting was postponed to 12:00 today for Transnet Group to verify the “facts” given to them before reporting back to the COVID-19 Committee.
It was agreed that in future Transnet Group and TPT will verify their facts before responding to concerns of members and will ensure that the communication to all members are factual in order not to traumatise members and create havoc.
It was also agreed that all employees will be issued with facial masks. Those on the frontline will be issued with the facial masks issued to health workers.
The rest of the employees will be issued with three layers cloth masks as suggested by the Minister of Health. The cloth masks are on order and due to the country wide demand could take up to two weeks before delivery is done.
The Leadership of UNTU wishes to assure our members that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that your safety and that of your loved ones comes first.
This virus has infected more than 2 million people worldwide and resulted in the death of more than 128 000 to date.
We salute all our members whose jobs are essential services and who are putting their lives at risks to ensure that essentials goods and food reach our nation in this exceedingly difficult and trying time.
UNTU leadership is available 24/7 to assist with any concerns that our members might have.
We pray each day that our Creator keep our Members and our Staff safe.
We appeal to all South Africans to respect and to adhere the lockdown rules. It is only if we stand together as a nation that we will be able to beat the virus and to manage the devastating aftermath thereof.
UNTU Greetings.
Steve Harris
General Secretary
