Dear SATAWU Cambridge and SATAWU Leadership,
It is with grave concern that the United National Transport Union (UNTU) takes note of the content of an e-mail sent by you on 31 January, 2017, to several of your members.
UNTU would hereby like to ask you to immediately withdraw the comments made on behalf of SATAWU, in the said e-mail, and, unconditionally apologize to UNTU and all the other individuals implicated in your e-mail.
The information provided in your e-mail is false and contains various defamatory remarks damaging the good reputation of UNTU and its members on various grounds.
UNTU highlights a few:
- UNTU does not spread lies about the infighting in SATAWU. The Union quotes
various media reports which SATAWU does not deny. See:
http://www.enca.com/south-africa/satawu-plunges-into-crisis;
- SATAWU does not meet the threshold of the Transnet Bargaining Council and your union is there thanks to UNTU’s mercy;
- UNTU represents the interest of our diverse membership, of which 70% is Africans and not that of management;
- UNTU is the majority trade union in Transnet, Bombela and PRASA.
- UNTU has the best benefits of all trade unions in South Africa.
- Individuals may use their Constitutional right to choose a Trade Union of their choice.
UNTU considers the content of your e-mail in totality, as the type of remarks that the Proposed Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, aims at making criminal offences that may land you in jail for up to three years. This should be an indication to SATAWU that even petty insults are no longer acceptable in our Constitutional democracy.
UNTU does not appreciate your threats and must refresh your memory about the Constitutional Court ruling in 2012 where your union was held liable for a riot damage claim. You don’t want to be held liable for a defamation claim, do you?
Awaiting your immediate response.
Steve Harris
General Secretary: UNTU
