SATAWU press Release 03-07-07

 

SATAWU PRESS RELEASE: 03 July 2007:

The SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) have reached a cul-de-sac in their attempts to break the deadlock in their 2007/2008 salary negotiations. The conciliation hearing facilitated by CCMA did not produce any results as management insisted on their 6.3% increase and demanded that all other demands (which were deferred from 2005/2006) be removed from the table. As the result of the above, the commissioner had no other choice except to issues a non-resolution certificate that gives right to our members to go on strike.

Building up to the conciliation hearing at CCMA, our members all over the country picketed, having realized that management is far from understanding the reality faced by our members. These picketings proved to management that our members are committed to defend their interest in so far as improving their conditions of employment. One of the sharpest and critical areas of contestation is that the RAF is offering far less than in the previous negotiations, claiming to be technically bankrupt, that being a song they sang since 2004. Their counter offer has less convincing facts on its reasonability given the level of their counter offer to the demands by our members.

The really key to the demands has always been that management should give increase that is not less than the previous increase, which was 6.9% as compared to 6.3% offered in this term of negotiations. During all engagements the union urged management that an acceptable settlement should address the living standards and day-to-day needs of our members. A noteworthy aspect of the negotiations processes was that they were characterized by conditional offers that were a deviation from the rules of engagement that were agreed before this term of negotiations.

Despite all our attempts to settle the dispute, management did not want to come to the party given their failure to accept our demands. Furthermore, the assumption that an increase of 8%, providing a housing subsidy to members and increasing the housing allowance will lead to greater financial burden to the Fund cannot be regarded as a reasonable excuse, as this is the case to other Public sector employees.

The Union has started with mobilisation strategies, including general meetings and intensifying picketing in all provinces. These processes are the final stage of determining the support building up to the National strike that would take place within two weeks time. Demands by our members are clear in that management should accept demands to increase member's salaries by 8% and provide housing subsidy to members as to avoid national strike planned to take place within a week.

For any information call Randall Howard (Satawu General Secretary), 011 333 6127/082 564 6298 or Nelson Lamityi (Satawu deputy general secretary) at 011 333 6127/076 635 1493.