Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Ongoing rail strike may worsen

By Nomava Nobumba
18 may 2010

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa says they have put a fresh offer on the negotiating table in an effort to bring an end to the crippling public transport strike.

Employees of Metrorail and Shosholoza Meyl, which fall under Prasa, went on strike from yesterday, demanding a 16-percent pay increase.

Acting Prasa CEO Tumisang Kgaboesele says with 87-percent of the workforce on strike the company was left with no other option but to shut down operations, forcing hundreds of thousands of daily commuters to find alternative modes of transport.

But the United Transport and Allied Trade Union has threatened that the strike is set to worsen.

UTATU says a secondary strike by members of the Federation of Unions of South Africa may ensue.

The union’s Chris de Vos says if negotiations fail they will call on their sister unions to down tools in solidarity.

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