Pretoria - Over two million passengers will have to find alternative transport today as a massive strike by Metrorail workers kicked-off countrywide.
The SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) National Sector Coordinator Tinzi Lubabalo told BuaNews that both unions, Satawu and the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) have not reached any agreement with Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa).
"We will be having a march in Johannesburg, where a memorandum of complaint will be handed over to Prasa on Monday," said Lubabalo.
He said the strike was due to a deadlock over wage increase, where the unions rejected the 5 percent increase offered by Prasa, the unions are demanding 16 percent across the board.
Prasa acting CEO Tumisang Kgaboesele said all rail operations including Metrorail and Shosholoza Meyl will be suspended to secure the safety of commuters during the planned strike action.
Kgaboesele said in a statement that no alternative transport would be offered to commuters and apologised to commuters for the disruption and inconvenience they will suffer as a result of the strike.
"Prasa hopes that an amicable solution will soon be found, one that protects the long-term business imperatives of this public company and secures its future," he said.
Meanwhile, talks between Transnet and striking unions are expected to continue today.
Utatu General Secretary Steve Harris told BuaNews that mediation started at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration on Friday afternoon in a bid to seek an end to the strike.
"The strike continues tomorrow [Monday], pending the outcome in today's meeting," Harris said.
Satawu Policy Researcher, Jane Barett said: "There won't be any solution for sometime and we will let you know when we've reached a solution."
Satawu workers downed tools last week Monday after rejecting a second offer of an 11 percent increase across the board from the transport parastatal. Utatu joined the protest action on Wednesday.
Transnet operates in five divisions: freight rail, rail engineering, ports, port terminals and pipelines.
