FEDUSA Slams Bombela’s Unbecoming Conduct

07 August 2017

The Federation of Unions of South (FEDUSA) has slammed the unbecoming conduct of Gautrain management company Bombela Concessionaire concerning the current strike by members of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) – an affiliate of FEDUSA in the passenger rail sector that also represent more than 90 percent of Bombela workers – including Bombela’s misrepresentation of UNTU’s actual demands to the media, claiming that the union is intimidating non-striking workers and not objecting to the presence of the controversial Marikana SAPS Commander Makukule on Gautrain premises.

Wage deadlocked after Bombela tabled a final offer of 8.5% compared to UNTU’s demands of 10% and R20 000 incentive bonus. Bombela has refused to consider the demand for an incentive bonus.

“It is clear that Bombela is not only negotiating in bad faith, but they are actively lying to the media and South Africans, actively intimidating workers and  gloating about how they are hurting their own workers so that the workers will not fight against exploitation,” said FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George.

“As if this was not enough, Bombela’s so called A Team headed by Human Resources manager Ayanda Machete had a party on Friday while workers were out on strike and sacrificing their salaries; in spite of all this, UNTU has continued to negotiate in good faith, and has after consulting with its members UNTU revised its demands while Bombela has refused to revise their offer nor open their books to the union”.

Bombela’s conduct  in this dispute has been unbecoming and unconstitutional, FEDUSA will be approaching the CCMA to force Bombela to release its finances and  implores all South Africans to stand in solidarity with the Gautrain workers in their demands for better wages and working conditions.

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FEDUSA is the largest politically non-aligned trade union federation in South Africa and represents a diverse membership from a variety of sectors in industry.  See www.fedusa.org.za for more information.

For interviews please contact:

Dennis George

FEDUSA General Secretary

084 805 1529

Issued by:

Frank Nxumalo

FEDUSA Media and Research Officer

072 637 8096