Pretoria - The labour union strike at Transnet is set to continue with workers due to march to Parliament today.
"The strike is set to continue. We will be marching to Parliament today to hand over a memorandum to the Transport Minister [Sibusiso Ndebele] this afternoon," said United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu), general secretary Chris de Vos.
De Vos would not divulge the details of the memorandum saying "it will be unfair to the minister to hear about it in the news".
Utatu and members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) are to begin their march in Cape Town at 11am.
The unions downed tools last week after declaring a dispute with the transport parastatal over wages. Transnet raised its original offer from eight to 11 percent with the unions demanding a 15 percent increase across the board.
However, de Vos said that labour has revised the offer down to 13 percent.
On Monday, the parties involved in the dispute confirmed that talks with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had failed.
"Transnet confirms that attempts by the CCMA to resolve the wage dispute with Satawu and Utatu, the recognised trade unions, have failed," Transnet spokesperson John Dludlu said.
"The package offer, which includes meaningful allowances for employees not yet receiving a medical allowance, results in a total cost to company of 11.2 percent and is within the limits of affordability and reasonableness," said Dludlu.
Transnet said it was concerned about Satawu's leadership whereby the union has misrepresented its offer to workers.
"The key focus of the new offer was, at the request of the Satawu elected leadership, a focus on increasing the pensionable earnings of employees and if necessary reducing the non pensionable elements, such as allowances.
"In the negotiations a new package was developed which resulted in employees having a greater long-term benefit by the 11 percent increase to pensionable earnings," said Dludlu.
Dludlu further added that the offer also includes the introduction of a new medical aid dispensation which provides for a new medical subsidy to employees and no longer link medical subsidy to membership of a particular medical aid. The offer also includes an eight percent increase to shift and stand by allowance as well as an increase in the overtime earnings threshold.
According to Transnet, the company is open to negotiations.
"We will keep our door open for genuine talks to seek a solution to the dispute when the unions are ready for a realistic and fair settlement."
Meanwhile, today marks the second day of protest action by rail workers leaving about two million commuters stranded as an agreement between Sawtawu, Utatu and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) have not reached an agreement.
The strike was due to a deadlock over wage increase. The unions are demanding a 16 percent wage increase while Prasa is offering an eight percent increase.
"The parties will meet at the CCMA this morning," said de Vos.
Due to the strike all rail operations including Metrorail and Shosholoza Meyl will be suspended to secure the safety of commuters during the strike action.
