The United National Transport Union (UNTU) declared two disputes today against the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) at the PRASA Bargaining Forum after the parastatals managers neglected to negotiate on ways to broaden their employee’s choice of a cost effective medical aid.
Pieter Greyling, Deputy General Secretary of UNTU, said PRASA earlier undertook to engage on this issue with organised labour and two days was set aside to do so. But instead of negotiating on who the preferred medical aid brokers should be and what choices employees had on the table, PRASA’s managers were more interested in sorting out their own accommodation needs.
“PRASA is not negotiating in good faith, a basic principal of collective bargaining. The management of PRASA makes a mockery out of the functioning of the PRASA Bargaining Forum.
“UNTU is left with no choice but to wonder if their reluctance to negotiate on medical brokers and a broader variety of medical aid schemes to choose from, does not emanate from a hidden agenda or an irregularity with the current contract,” said Greyling.
UNTU declared a dispute against PRASA’s failure to bargain in good faith to improve the working conditions of its employees and the union declared a dispute on PRASA’s failure to broaden the choice of medical aid for its employees before they need to make a choice that will be effective from 1 January 2017.
For more information phone Greyling on 076 084 7131.
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.
