FIRST MEETING HELD TO CONSIDER NOTICE OF POSSIBLE
PROTEST ACTION AGAINST CAPE METRORAIL
A meeting was convened in Cape Town today by the Nedlac Standing
Committee on Section 77 notices, between representatives of the
Premier's Office, MEC for Transport, Cape Metrorail, the South
African Rail Commuter Corporation, and the Congress of South
African Trade Union's Western Cape region.
Cosatu Western Cape tabled a notice on 18 February to the
National Economic Development and Labour Council, Nedlac, of
possible protest action regarding the administration of railway
services by Cape Metrorail. The notice specified a number of
demands, including that Cape Metrorail should immediately restore
all the trains whose services it had discontinued as from November
2001. The notice also raised issues regarding safety on trains and
at stations.
Today's meeting was informed that Cape Metrorail was now in a
position to resume the previous service levels, and that all the
services that had been suspended would be restored shortly.
All the parties present expressed their concern about the issues
that Cosatu had raised, and their commitment to resolving them. The
meeting agreed that a sub-committee would be established which
would work through all the issues. The Committee would have
representatives from Metrorail, National, Provincial and Local
Government, and Cosatu. Nedlac would facilitate the meeting of the
sub-committee.
Depending on the progress of the sub-committee, the Nedlac
Standing Committee would then decide at a later date whether the
notice could be deemed to have been considered. The notice is
therefore still at the "c" stage of consideration.
Background
The notice was tabled in terms of Section 77 of the Labour
Relations Act, which allows registered trade unions or federations
of trade unions to undertake protest action to promote and protect
the social and economic interests of workers, if they follow
certain procedures. Before embarking on protest action, the trade
union concerned is required to serve notice on Nedlac stating the
reasons for the protest action and the intended nature of the
protest action. (section 77(1)(b))The Act requires the Nedlac
parties to meet with the trade union and the parties at whom the
notice is directed, to consider the issues raised.(Section
77(1)(c)) Should the issues remain unresolved after thorough
consideration, workers are entitled to participate in protected
protest action 14 days after serving a second notice on Nedlac of
their intention to proceed with the action. (Section 77(1)(d)).
Issued by Nedlac
18 March 2002
Contact:
Jennifer Wilson
011 328 4200
083 652 8524