Majority Union Signs Deal to End South Africa$$s Freight Transport Strike.

The state$-$owned company that runs South Africa$$s freight rail and port systems is a step closer to ending a strike that has

idled imports and exports for nearly two weeks. The union that represents a majority of workers from Transnet has signed

a three$-$year wage deal to end the work stoppage. Not everyone is happy about the move.

The agreement is aimed at ending the walkout which began October $6$ and cost the country $$44$ million a day. Cobus van

Vuuren is the general secretary of the majority United National Transport Union, or UNTU, which signed the multi$-$year

agreement with Transnet. He says the deal is binding on all workers since it represents more than half of the company$$s

$40,000$ unionized workers.

Van Vuuren made his comments as the South African Trade and Allied Workers Union, or SATAWU, the minority union in

the dispute, said it would still picket and has consulted lawyers. V$$n Vuuren explained his group$$s position.

$$Unfortunately$,$ we don$$t always see eye$-$to$-$eye because our philosophies and values both differ. And our understanding

of the impact of a protracted strike and the effect that that can have on the greater economy and potential job losses that

the economy can suffer is maybe not necessarily shared by SATAWU,$$ he said.

He added that SATAWU has the right to continue with the industrial action but their strike is now unprotected and they are

exposing their members to disciplinary action, which could include dismissal.

Anele Kiet, the deputy secretary$-$general of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, says the majority union

betrayed them. $$Even during the last negotiations, they left SATAWU and went to sign an agreement behind our back,$$ he

said.

SATAWU has been holding out for an inflation$-$related increase. In July, South Africa$$s inflation rate was at $7\mathrm{.}8\%,$ the

highest in $13$ years. UNTU settled for $6\%$ as well as medical and housing allowance increases. SATAWU also says it

wants a no retrenchment $($reduction$)$ clause in the wage agreement. UNTU$$s van Vuuren says his union decided not to

insist on that because Transnet gave guarantees that it will follow the legal procedures for retrenching $($reducing$)$ staff $$

should it be necessary.

He shed light on how Transnet, which like most state$-$owned enterprises in South Africa is battling financially, can afford

the increases.

$$So as far as what we have been informed," he said. "Their customers especially in the ports has $[$sic$]$ come on board.

They have offered Transnet assistance through a $[$sic$]$ extra charge which they are willing to pay on every container that

is off$-$loaded or dealt with or processed. And the number that we have been told is R$148[$$$8\mathrm{.}00]$ per container and taking

into consideration that there$$s millions of containers that is $[$sic$]$ off$-$loaded during the year, you times that by R$148,$ it does

come to a substantial amount.$$

He also says his union is concerned about intimidation of workers.

$$Thus far for today we have not had any reports or any incidents that have been reported with regards to intimidation and

violence," he said. $"$We have however expressed our concern to Transnet with regards to this potential existing and we

trust that Transnet will do anything in their power to make sure that our members can report to work safely... so that

productivity can continue to resolve the backlog that exists currently.$$

Meanwhile, South African politician Michael Bagraim, the labor spokesperson in parliament for the main opposition

Democratic Alliance, praised UNTU and says he hopes the other union will come around.

$$It is an enormous relief in that if this carried on for another few weeks, it would$$ve crippled the entire economy,$$ he said. Workers at South Africa's state$-$owned logistics firm Transnet gather in front of ship containers as they continue on a

nationwide strike outside the Port of Cape Town amid talks to end a wage deadlock with the company, in Cape Town, Oct.

$11,2022.$

Workers at South Africa's state$-$owned logistics firm Transnet gather in front of ship containers as they continue on a

nationwide strike outside the Port of Cape Town amid talks to end a wage deadlock with the company, in Cape Town, Oct.

$11,2022.$The challenge is that they won$$t be as efficient given the SATAWU workers that are absent$,$ he said.

SATAWU$$s Kiet said the leadership of the union was heading to the country$$s main port in Durban for talks with other

members Wednesday on the legal opinion they have received. He said for now, they remain on strike. South African

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged all parties to act in the best interest of the country. QUESTION $4(20$ Marks$)$

Assuming that there is confusion within your management team on the general and universally acceptable definition of an

employee. Clarify the meaning of an employee by assessing the key factors$/$ guidelines that should be considered for one

to be presumed an employee, as provided in the Code of Good