Spoornet reacts to rail strike threat

KEVIN MAYHEW SPOORNET IS not considering any contingency measures following reports last week of union threats to take industrial action because of alleged plans by the rail company to retrench 946 employees within two months. Spoornet spokesperson, Mike Asefowitz, said that the staff reductions necessary to improve service delivery were still being negotiated with all parties. Already it had trimmed the retrenchment figures from an original 2900 to the present figure through training and reassignment of personnel. The SA Transport and Allied Worker’s Union (Satawu), the United Association of SA (Uasa) and the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) are reportedly concerned that the staff trimming exercise was being speeded up in the light of holding company Transnet’s R6,3bn pretax loss announced recently. “We are not proceeding as if strike action is a possibility at this point,” he said.