Jealous rivals of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) has once again resorted to deception regarding developments in the negotiations on Transnet’s proposed shift alignment and hours of duty to achieve an advantage.
These cheap tricks can be expected throughout the Transport industry as UNTU is growing stronger by the day and our rival trade unions are losing ground.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, reassure all UNTU members at Transnet that the Union will continue to keep their members abreast of developments as and when they occur as we have always done in the past.
“I want to reaffirm that UNTU will not use these highly sensitive and emotional issues to demoralize, unsettle and distress our members unnecessary. This Trade Union refuses to resort to dishonesty, libel and slander to increase our membership. The leadership of UNTU knows that it is easier to maintain a good character as to recover it when it’s gone bad,” says Harris.
The parties did meet two weeks ago, to discuss Transnet’s proposals now contained in a presentation, but there were no developments to the positions on either side.
“The position remains that Transnet would like to align the shifts and hours of duty across all the operating divisions, without compensating affected employees. UNTU are not convinced of Management’s rationale behind the proposals.
“UNTU remains clear that the current hours of duty of the various operational divisions were negotiated in the time when decentralised bargaining took place, which was prior to 2008, when Labour sacrificed certain benefits to obtain the reduction in hours during the negotiations,” says Harris.
Harris refers to Act. 199 of the Labour Relations Act which clearly states that contracts of employment may not disregard or waive Collective Agreements or arbitration awards.
The Act states that a Contract of Employment, whether concluded before or after coming into operation of any applicable Collective Agreement or arbitration award, may not:
- permit an employee to be paid remuneration that is less than that prescribed by that Collective Agreement or arbitration award;
- permit an employee to be treated in a manner, or to be granted any benefit that is less favourable than that prescribed by that Collective Agreement or arbitration award;
- waive the application of any provision of that Collective Agreement or arbitration award.
“The parties have agreed to appoint a Senior Commissioner to facilitate the negotiations within the Transnet Bargaining Council.
“The parties have also agreed to send a task team to Russia, the USA and Germany to investigate what the best practise benchmark of good manufacturing companies globally are. Wyndham Evans, President of UNTU, is included in this task team,” says Harris.
The parties will meet again on 14 and 15 February 2017.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail sonja@untu.co.za or phone 082 463 6806.
