The union has served the Bombela Operations Company (BOC), which manages the Gautrain, with a 48-hour strike notice. This comes after failed wage negotiations between the union and management.
FILE: Picture: @Gautrain/Facebook.com.
JOHANNESBURG – Trade union Numsa said that its members at the Gautrain would go on strike indefinitely until their demands are met.
The union has served the Bombela Operations Company (BOC), which manages the Gautrain, with a 48-hour strike notice.
This comes after failed wage negotiations between the union and management.
Numsa has accused the company of imposing a 4% wage increase without engaging with workers.
This is despite a call by the BOC to urge the union to abandon their intentions to strike and respect the vote of the majority of the workers it represents.
Workers want an 8% basic salary increase.
Numsa, which represents 258 workers of the 320 staff at the Gautrain, said that it would down tools on Monday if the company failed to return to the negotiation table to find an amicable solution for both parties.
The union’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola has accused the BOC of refusing to talk to workers meaningfully.
“In South Africa, there is a culture in the workplace where executives do as they please and impose decisions on the workforce instead of engaging with the workers to find a solution and this is the case with the BOC. While we do understand that the may have economic difficulties, probably because of COVID-19, no employer has the right to simply impose changes without meaningful engagement.”
Numsa has urged residents to use alternative transportation next week.
