Massive Transit Strike Planned, But Likely Over Before World Cup

The United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) and the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) will jointly host a national strike of Transnet, a public commercial company that oversees rail, ports and pipelines in South Africa. Metrorail employees aren't expected to join the strike, but that has not yet been ruled out.

South Africa's transport system was expected to be brought to a standstill from May 10 as 50 000 Transnet workers planned to strike over a wage dispute.

"This will be the biggest strike in the history of South Africa," said Chris de Vos, general secretary of the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) at a press conference in Johannesburg on Friday.

"It will make all other strikes look like kindergarten parties."

Fears over massive strike
Fin 24
April 30, 2010

Western Cape Metrorail Strike Fades

Though no formal agreement has been reached, Metrorail workers are returning to their trains one week after instituting a strike. Workers had gradually returned to work over the course of the strike, though union officials are still trying to push forward wage negotiations.

When the strike began last Monday, train services in the Western Cape were reduced to 30 percent of its 679 daily trips, but waned after three days as some United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) members returned to work.

...Utatu demanded an 8 percent increase effective from April 1, a further 2 percent in September and an 8 percent increase in the housing subsidy and medical aid. Metrorail has offered 8 percent across the board. The minimum monthly salary is R5 000.

Metrorail transports about 600 000 passengers daily. About 1 000 of Utatu's 2 500 members at Metrorail are based in the Western Cape.

Metrorail strike fizzles out
Cape Times
August 24. 2009