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Read the article below and answer jority Union Signs Deal to End South Africa s Freight Transport Strike. The state - owned company that runs
Read the article below and answer jority Union Signs Deal to End South Africas Freight Transport Strike.
The stateowned company that runs South Africas 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 threeyear 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 and cost the country $ million a day. Cobus van
Vuuren is the general secretary of the majority United National Transport Union, or UNTU, which signed the multiyear
agreement with Transnet. He says the deal is binding on all workers since it represents more than half of the companys
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. Vn Vuuren explained his groups position.
Unfortunately we dont always see eyetoeye 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 secretarygeneral 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 inflationrelated increase. In July, South Africas inflation rate was at the
highest in years. UNTU settled for as well as medical and housing allowance increases. SATAWU also says it
wants a no retrenchment reduction clause in the wage agreement. UNTUs 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 stateowned 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 offloaded or dealt with or processed. And the number that we have been told is R$ per container and taking
into consideration that theres millions of containers that is sic offloaded during the year, you times that by R 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 wouldve crippled the entire economy, he said. Workers at South Africa's stateowned 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.
Workers at South Africa's stateowned 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.
The challenge is that they wont be as efficient given the SATAWU workers that are absent he said.
SATAWUs Kiet said the leadership of the union was heading to the countrys 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 Marks
Strikes are becoming more and more common in South Africa and this affects not only the local economy, but businesses
and employees alike. With reference to applicable legislation and the article, analyse the different forms of industrial
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