Transnet Freight Rail has strongly denounced what it terms ‘misleading statements’ issued by a group of disgruntled ex-employees who have vowed to start sleeping on the pavement outside parliament in Cape Town until they are paid pensions they claim are owing to them.
The issue goes back more than twenty years to 1988 when a group of East London workers were dismissed by the then South African Transport Services after an illegal strike.
The employees confirmed at the time that they had been paid all their entitlements by South African Transport Services and the only outstanding issue was their pension contributions which are administered by Metropolitan Retirement Administrators who are independent of Transnet. The administrators advised that they had paid the employees their contributions but, only in respect of those who were members at the time.
“No monies are owed to these ex- employees by Transnet and the company will gladly defend this in court if challenged to finally put the matter to rest,” said TFR spokesperson Sandile Simelane.
