The United National Transport Union (UNTU) are going ahead with its application to ask the Labour Court in Johannesburg to declare that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) violated the constitution of its bargaining forum.

Prasa has requested UNTU to withdraw its urgent application unconditionally. Mr. Pieter Greyling, Deputy General Secretary of UNTU, says there is no obligation on the Union to do so unless Prasa adhere to its demands.

This comes after Prasa entered into an agreement with the Trade Union National Transport Movement (NTM) at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) giving them limited rights. According to the agreement NTM gets stop order facilities and access to the workplace.

“UNTU’s stance remain that affording these limited rights to NTM is premature and violates the constitution of the Prasa Bargaining Forum. The constitution stipulates that a trade union must have a 25% plus 1 representation to qualify for these rights. That is why UNTU instructed its attorneys to refer the matter to the Labour Court on an urgent basis,” says Greyling.

The urgent application was removed from the court roll pending discussions between the parties’ attorneys on the way forward. Greyling says in the interim UNTU reserves its rights.

Issued by UNTU