Labour Report- 4Th Edition 2019
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Affiliated to Fedusa LABOUR REPORT www.untu.co.za pride • unity • trust QUARTER 4 OF 2019 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 10 PAGE 14 TRANSNET PIPELINES ZERO TOLERANCE FOR RACIAL RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS TEN REASONS WHY YOU TARGETED BY THIEVES SLURS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND EARN CASH! SHOULD JOIN UNTU UNTU continues to grow after 115 years of serving and protecting our members Full speed ahead in 2020! herever you are and whatever official language you speak, UNTU will continue to give meaning to ourW slogan, “Pride, Unity and Trust”, by striving to improve on our service delivery to our valued members and protecting their jobs. That is the guarantee of the UNTU Executive Council, Full-time Trade Union Representatives, Secretariat and staff, as the Union enters its 115th year of existence in the transport industry dating as far back as 1905. “As we are heading for our National Congress in November 2020, I can assure you that UNTU will remain the most pro- gressive Union in the transport industry for the next 115 years thanks to our knowledge, expertise and the excellent training we pro- vide to our Trade Union Representatives,” says Steve Harris, General Secretary. The preparations for our Congress are in full swing. Our members have been noti- fied of the elections of UNTU Trade Union Representatives (TUR’s) that will take place during January and February 2020. Dan Khumalo, UNTU Deputy General Secretary responsible for training, is over- seeing that the Union’s TUR’s all over the country are trained on the Constitution of UNTU and how to conduct the elections the judgement in this case is crucial as it will deadlines for the conditions he set out to and to provide members with the oppor- in accordance with the Constitution. be ground-breaking case law on the em- improve the safety and reliability of the tunity to meet its leadership. Steve assures members that the prepa- ployer’s obligation towards its employees. service. The parties are due back in court To ensure that UNTU delivers, the rations won’t distract UNTU from its core UNTU also declared a dispute about this on 28 February 2020. Union held its first round of its popular responsibility: to protect issue at the Transnet Sonja Carstens, UNTU Deputy General Phambili Drives to embrace and enhance Bargaining Council. Secretary handling this case, says that the our members in the “UNTU means the Union’s diverse membership. The workplace. The Union is in the Union believes that Prasa and the RSR pro- UNTU Super Team visited Komatipoort, UNTU is awaiting business. We will process to be joined as vided the judge with the misleading informa- Kaapmuiden, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Kim- the Labour Court in continue to show our a friend of the Gauteng tion they were provided with, without esta- berley, Durban, Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Johannesburg to provide members that action North High Court in blishing the facts from employees on ground Johannesburg, East London, Saldanha, the Union with the date speak louder than the application between level who do not know if they will see their Port Elizabeth, Queenstown, Richards Bay, when its application words. Phambili!” Prasa and the Railway families again if they leave their homes to go Cape Town and Johannesburg. During to set aside Transnet’s Safety Regulator (RSR). to work. At the same time Neels Haasbroek, these drives, hundreds of new members ~ Steve Harris ~ decision to no longer Judge Cassim Sardiwalla UNTU Deputy General Secretary, has joined UNTU’s winning team. provide transport to and granted Prasa an interim obtained mandates from UNTU members “UNTU means business. We are tired from work to our members at the safety operating permit on 12 October 2018 to start with the annual wage negotiations of being called the sweethearts when it is far Transnet Sentrarand Depot, will be heard. after the RSR refused to grant it. Since then at the Prasa Bargaining Forum. from the truth. We will continue to show John Pereira, Deputy General Secretary the judge had to issue a second court order Steve says the Union realises how our members that action speak louder than of UNTU who is handling this case, says to hold Prasa accountable to adhere to important it is to be visible to members words. Phambili!” says Steve. UNTU wishes all its members a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2020. Thank you for your loyal support! PRESIDENT SAYS Hendrik Fourie Your Union on the move Criminals exploit ailing infrastructure Hendrik axpayers and employees of Fourie state-owned enterprises like Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) are only now starting Dan Khumalo, Deputy General Secretary of UNTU, trained UNTU Trade Union Repre- Tto feel the devastating consequences of sentatives (TUR’s) at UNTU House in Houghton, Johannesburg, on the Union’s Consti- state capture over the past eight years. tution and the process of electing new TUR’s which will commence in January 2020. The extent of the corruption committed was so enormous that it left the state-owned en- terprises crippled. This weakness was quickly exploited by criminals who have increased their opportunistic attacks on the ailing rail- way infrastructure in recent months. From the first week of November the re-entered into an agreement with SA crisis was aggravated when the contracts of Express to repay the R222 million loaned to twenty private security companies at Prasa the bankrupt airline in December 2017. came to an end nationwide. The Auditor- The chances are slim of Transnet getting General found that these contracts were the money back after the Auditor-General awarded illegally and the Board of Prasa slapped SA Express with a disclaimer audit notified the companies that their contracts opinion after the airline was unable to UNTU President Hendrik Fourie and Exco Member Wielligh Meyer attended the would be coming to an end in April 2020. provide evidence for its financial state as UNTU Super Team Phambili Drive held at Transnet Engineering Koedoespoort in UNTU supports the Board of Prasa’s reflected in the financial statements. SA Pretoria. UNTU Super Team Members and full-time TUR’s Sonnyboy Mosebedi, continued efforts to root out any form of Express reported a net loss of R590 million in Luvuyo Mdyogolo and Obert Mudalahothe also attended the drive. corruption. The Board assured me and a the financial year ended in March 2019. delegation of the leadership of the Union The Board of Prasa confirmed to UNTU that it had an agreement in place with the that the reason why Mainline Passenger Rapid Rail Police Unit of the South African Services (also known as Shosholoza Meyl) Police Service (SAPS) to deploy 3 100 police was in a dire state and unable to provide a officials nationwide as an interim measure service on various of its former routes, was to replace the security companies. because of the contract that was irregularly But when the vandalism increased, the awarded to the black empowerment SAPS were nowhere to be seen and we company Swifambo Rail Leasing. received reports of theft of various items and The Constitutional Court confirmed overhead cables all over the country. the Gauteng North High Court’s This comes against the background decision to set aside Prasa’s contract with of Transnet confirming that it had spent Swifambo to buy 70 locomotives from the R40 billion on upgrading the rail infrastructure Spain-based international rail technology over the past five years, yet the infrastructure company, Vossloh, in 2013. It means Prasa is in its worst state ever. Transnet repor- must procure new locomotives. ted irregular spending of R49 billion in However, to date there have been no UNTU Deputy General Secretary Sonja Carstens and UNTU Super Team Members Lu- the previous financial year. Mohamed prosecutions in any of the matters above, vuyo Mdyogolo and Sonnyboy Mosebedi addressed employees of Prasa Mainline Passen- Mohamedy, Acting Group Chief Executive of while UNTU members continues to bear ger Services (Shosoloza Meyl) in Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, as part of the Phambili Drive. Transnet, confirmed to UNTU that Transnet the brunt. COMMENT Steve Harris Still no change to long overdue overtime threshold NTU members must brace them- in the level of the BCEA earning threshold average income is R20 855 per month. Steve selves to wait another few months due to the following reasons: UNTU realises that the Minister is very Harris Ufor any news on the long overdue • There is little evidence that workers cautious of the impact an increase of the increase of the overtime threshold in above or below the threshold differ threshold will have on employment in a the Basic Conditions of Employment Act from each other; rapidly changing South African labour mar- (BCEA). Employment and Labour Minister • There is evidence that the threshold ket. The fact that the unemployment rate Thulas Nxesi decided to task the newly is sufficient to identify and support the in the country is at 29,1%, the highest in established National Minimum Wage vulnerable; eleven years, is aggravating the dilemma. Commission with determining if the • There is little evidence that the BCEA Currently UNTU members working for threshold which has been stagnant for the has any impact on employment or any Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of past five years, should be increased or not. evidence of structural breaks. South Africa (Prasa) earn more per hour for The Minister doesn’t agree with UNTU The findings of the research did not a normal day’s work than what they earn per that the threshold of R205 433,30 per recommend a change in the threshold in hour when they must work overtime.