Johannesburg — The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) is to mediate the wage dispute between the National Union of Metalworkers South Africa (NUMSA) and the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), the company that manages the Gautrain.
With negotiations currently deadlocked after a dispute between the two companies, NUMSA led an indefinite strike starting Monday 8 July. Among their demands are a 9% increase, overtime compensation, and others, while the BOC is offering 5.6%, EWN reported.
Now, the CCMA is set to get involved to initiate mediation between the two companies.
NUMSA said it would participate in the negotiations with an open mind to find a solution to the strike, it said in a statement.
“We do not think our demands are unreasonable. The lowest paid worker earns R8,000pm without any benefits. The cost of living is extremely high if one factor in the petrol price, and the fact that the average food basket costs over R5,300,” NUMSA spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola. said
NUMSA will participate in mediation, which will be facilitated by the CCMA in order to resolve the strike @TheGautrain
Details below👇🏾#GautrainStrike#ForTheLoveofTheWorkingClass
❤️🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/JQTNMp4giX— NUMSA (@Numsa_Media) July 9, 2024
NUMSA felt that the offer to their workers failed in comparison to the R2 million subsidy and R22 000 bonuses that Gautrain management received and for that reason, the strike is continuing.
The union said its affiliates who work for the Gautrain would continue with their indefinite strike until the employer tables a meaningful wage offer.
“It is against this backdrop that workers rejected the bosses wage offer of 5.6% because this is way below inflation,” Hlubi-Majola said.
Hlubi-Majola said Numsa also met with the Gautrain management where representatives from the office of the MEC for Transport, Kedibone Diale Tlabela, were present.
“The atmosphere of the meeting was positive and we hope that a speedy resolution will be found to settle the strike. We have always said the door to engagement remains open. However, as long as a meaningful offer has not been placed on the table by the employer, the strike will continue indefinitely.”
Hlubi-Majola has called on all parties to work with the union so that an amicable resolution to the strike can be found.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
