NEWS

Labour Union strike cripples rail service operations

By Bridget Lepere

Metrorail and Transnet commuters found themselves in a very desperate situation on Monday morning May 17, after Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) shut down all its rail operations during an “unprecedented solidarity mass action” call by Metrorail and Transnet workers. 

The labour Unions, South African Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and United Transport Allied Trade Union (UTATU) strike against Transnet entered its second week on May 17, while the mass action against Metrorail took is its course on Monday.


The negotiator between SATAWU and rail operations management Jane Barrett, says in April Transnet put down an 11% wage increment offer on the table during the negations, which they were not happy about. She says at the moment there are negations taking place between the labour unions and Metrorail, while there aren’t any negations in place between with Transnet. “At this point, the dispute can only be resolved by Transnet management as the protest will continue for as long as there is no offer on the table.”


Initially SATAWU and UTATU had demanded a 15% increment, which was lowered to 13%, but was refused by the railway company. On Sunday night the concerned parties negotiated again on a further lowered 12% increase, but again Transnet did not budge on their rigid 11% wage increment.
While Transnet claims that the sabotage related to the strike has cost them about R24m damage to infrastructure, the taxi industry has benefited from both strikes, being more than happy to transport the hordes of commuters to their destinations. 

Amidst the wage increase negotiations, Metrorail commuters were very vocal in expressing service delivery complaints and their travelling experience with the railway company. 

“I struggled today; I had use taxis which costs me double the fares because of this strike. A lot of school children in town were left desperate in the morning not knowing where to go because there are no trains. It is painful to pay for a ticket and end being squashed or standing in a train because they are over crowded, we get late to and from work. Another thing is they have increased the fares, before I was paying R38.00 for a monthly ticket but now, I have to cough out R100.00 which is unfair for the kind of service.”

Fingers sawed for gold rings

By Bridget Lepere  

A source who regularly that works in Ext 13 has reported that in the first week of June a woman in her early twenties who is believed to have been coming from the mall was brutally assaulted by a thug on the bridge under where the storm water drains run on Nirvana Drive at 4pm in the afternoon.

A passer-by who saw the entire event unfold, says the man wanted the gold rings that the woman was wearing, and as she was unable to take the jewelery off, the man took out a pocket knife and viciously sawed all her four fingers off. 

While the woman is not known by anybody, the community Policing Forum (CPF) and other community members have warned that the bridge on Nirvana Drive and the surrounding veld areas are a high crime spot and pedestrians should be aware of who is near them while walking near the hot spots and to be always vigilant.