The United National Transport Union (UNTU) is proud to announce that the hard work of our Organisers, Executive Council members and Trade Union Representatives, within the crippled Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) have paid off.
The latest membership figures show that UNTU is now the biggest and strongest Trade Union within PRASA thanks to the Unions’ continued fight for better conditions of service and a safe working environment for all PRASA employees.
For the past eight months, UNTU has been at war with Government for not respecting and protecting PRASA’s employee’s basic Labour Relations Rights, entrenched in our Constitution.
“It is a total disgrace that Government has not yet taken drastic measures to take control of PRASA’s financial affairs. The Governments pathetic attempts to hold PRASA accountable for its R14 billion irregular expenditure is laughable,” says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
Over the past few months UNTU had declared various disputes against PRASA for not adhering to Collective Agreements because the state-owned enterprise has no money.
Harris says the Bill of Rights in the Constitution gives everyone the right to fair labour practices. It also protects every Trade Unions right to engage in Collective Bargaining.
“How does these Constitutional rights help employees of PRASA if their employer can simply ignore them? How can any Government allow the coffers of a state-owned enterprise to be looted without acting to protect its employees and even more importantly, the South African taxpayer?” Harris asks.
UNTU would like to thank all its Members for your loyalty and support. Without you, our proud Union would not have been able to exist.
A Special Congratulations goes to Brian Davids, UNTU Executive Council member and Full Time Trade Union Representative, who managed to recruit Joel Patrick Hlatsuwayo, former National Full Time Trade Union Representative of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU). Joel is a Yard Foreman at PRASA Braamfontein.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Communication, Media and Liaison Officer.
