The United National Transport Union (UNTU) attempts to conciliate the dispute on salary negotiations with Bombela, the company that operates Gautrain, at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) failed today and the parties reached a deadlock within hours.
Mr. Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says the negotiating team of Bombela did not come to the CCMA in good faith. Bombela tried to get out of the conciliation by alleging that UNTU no longer holds the majority position in the company. Neels Haasbroek, Deputy General Secretary of UNTU, immediately pointed out that nor Bombela or UNTU have audited figures to substantiate the company’s allegations. UNTU is prepared to audit its figures to rule out the latest delaying tactic of the company.
When these negotiations started on the 1 April 2016 UNTU was the majority Union representing more than 51% of the employees at Bombela. If the allegation of the company about UNTU’s membership is correct, then the Union still have another 90 days to verify the facts. Bombela only made this allegation a week ago knowing that the parties will meet today. “Bombela is playing games,” says Haasbroek.
The employer was only prepared to better the salary offer on the negotiation table, giving UNTU’s members more than a 7% increase over two years provided that whatever agreement is reached will depend on the Union increasing its membership to more than 51%. Haasbroek says this can only be described as putting a knife to the Union’s throat and trying to force its hand into submitting.
Bombela was adamant to raise this point in limine and asked the CCMA to determine whether or not UNTU can be deemed the majority Union. The CCMA pointed out that this application will only delay the finalisation of the salary negotiations and have no effect to amicably resolve the salary dispute. He granted Bombela time to file its application in terms of Rule 31 of the CCMA. Bombela must submit its application within 7 days before UNTU’s legal team will respond.
The CCMA was not prepared to issue UNTU with a certificate to give the Union the right to get a mandate from their members if they are prepared to go on a strike.
Haasbroek said he is disappointed that there is no resolution of the dispute. UNTU realizes that its members are frustrated and angry about the delay in concluding the salary agreement.
UNTU declared a dispute on behalf of its members about the company’s arbitrary reversal of a policy on the payment of operational staff and the deadlock in the 2016/2017 salary negotiations.
According to Bombela’s policy rules employees were paid overtime rates when they worked six days in a week instead of five. The company arbitrarily stopped paying overtime rates in 2013. Since then the company has done its utmost to frustrate UNTU attempts to challenge its actions.
Bombela is seeking to short-change its hard working and hyper efficient employees when they offered a 3% pay increase during the 2016/2017 salary negotiations. UNTU demanded an 15% pay increase due to amongst other employees struggle to cope with the current financial crisis in the country. The gap has narrowed to a 9% vs 7% divide when negotiations deadlocked causing UNTU to declare a dispute.
For further enquiries please phone Mr. Haasbroek on (011) 728 0120 or 082 904 2215.
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
