Cape Town - The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has issued a strike certificate to United National Transport Union (Untu) members at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) after a wage dispute.
This comes after the parties could not reach an agreement on the proposed multi-term wage offer for Prasa employees.
Untu spokesperson Sonja Carstens said organised labour demanded a 7.5% wage increase on the total guaranteed package of Prasa employees, that the employer contribute 70% of the medical contribution of an employee, that Prasa could not retrench any employees for the duration of the agreement, and that a performance management system be implemented.
The union’s general secretary, Steve Harris, said the wages were due to be implemented on April 1. The negotiations started in November last year, but due to the Covid-19 lockdown Prasa management had only responded with an offer on August 26.
Harris said the union declared a dispute after the negotiations deadlocked, and alleged that Prasa management maintained that they could not offer anything other than a multi-year agreement. “The final offer is a 5% increase on the total guaranteed package for 2020, 5% for 2021 and 4.8% for 2022. (Prasa) also promised not to retrench any employees for the duration of the agreement.”
He said the wage increase would be backdated to April 1. “Untu will now be obtaining a mandate among its members to decide whether they want to accept the offer or not.”
He said union members should realise that they would have to strike to force management’s hand if they did not accept the offer.
Prasa spokesperson Makhosini Mgitywa said his colleagues at the entity’s human resources division had said they had not received any certificate of non-resolution.
CCMA Director, Cameron Morajane confirmed that the matter was conciliated on September 16.
Morajane said a certificate of non-resolution was issued on Monday. The CCMA said it remains committed in assisting parties reach an amicable agreement.
Cape Argus