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The management of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has requested Labour to meet with them tomorrow, after they have asked the Board of Prasa to review their mandate for wage increases.

The United National Transport Union (UNTU) truly hopes that Prasa makes an acceptable salary offer to our members. The Union truly believes that a national strike of its thousands of Prasa members will not be in their own best interest or that of the state-owned enterprise, the  poorest of the poor commuters who really on trains to get to and from work or the broader South African community.

“UNTU is a responsible Trade Union who does not take any form of industrial action lightly. However, our members deserve more than the 7% salary increase the employer is offering right now.

“Furthermore, there will be hell to Pay  if Prasa continues with its unjustified threats of job losses to follow a 7% wage increase, after the management of the passenger rail operator admitted to parliament that they cannot account for R14 billion. Therefore it is no wonder that Prasa has a budget deficit of R1,8 billion,” says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.

UNTU declared a dispute on the wages in February. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), issued Labour with a certificate of non-resolution after it could not resolve the dispute.

This means that Labour can give Prasa 48-hour notice of its intent to embark on a protected national strike.

Harris says UNTU is busy consolidating the mandates the Union received from its members across the country. The Union does not consider embarking on the strike before the upcoming long weekend.

Issued by UNTU