Pretoria - The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) and labour unions are to meet at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) offices today where an agreement could be signed ending the four-day strike action.
"Labour is now engaging its members for a mandate. We will meet again at the CCMA at 2.30pm this afternoon," Prasa acting CEO Tumisang Kgaboesele told BuaNews.
Kgaboesele said following a meeting at the CCMA on Wednesday night, unions [United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) and South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu)] have accepted the agency's revised offer of a 10 percent wage increase across the board.
The unions, he said, have committed to the new rotational shift and the new conditions of service. The offer also includes four months paid maternity leave.
Unions downed tools on Monday leaving thousands of commuters stranded over wage increases. All rail operations including Metrorail and Shosholoza Meyl had been suspended.
The unions had been demanding a 16 percent across the board increase. Prasa's original offer was 8 percent.
"Today labour is consulting its members across the country to get a mandate as whether to sign the agreement or not," said Satawu National Sector Coordinator Tinzi Lubabalo.
Lubabalo said he was optimistic about the new offer. "Should the offer be signed our members will be back at work within 48 hours," said Lubabalo.
In a separate matter, Transnet and labour are also due to meet at the CCMA this afternoon in efforts to end the 11-day strike.
Transnet has described the second round of mediation efforts as "constructive and positive".
Utatu and Satawu downed tools last week over wage matters. The unions were demanding a 15 percent wage increase while the parastatal was offering 8 percent. The offer has since been upped to 11 percent while labour moved down to 13 percent.
The parties will reconvene at 4pm.
