NEWS

Read about thewage negotiationson page 3

NEWS

It is time to apply fora bursaryPage 7

NEWS

Do you know all yourbenefits? Turn to page 13

Affiliated to FEDUSA

Labour Report Spring 2012

E mployees in the various busi-nesses where UTATU SAR-WHU are represented are rap-

idly realising the value, benefits andexciting growth opportunities creat-ed by the merging of Transnet’s mostprofessional and politically non-aligned unions.

“Our merger has come at theright time for those transport work-ers who want to be truly liberated,”says general secretary, Steve Harris.“Rather than being partnered to allthe negatives currently pulling downSA society – unemployment, shoot-ings, abysmal service delivery, crime,corruption, a failing education system- they are welcoming the creation ofa fully-focused professional tradeunion which can concentrate exclu-sively on improving their circum-stances in the workplace.

“I can assure our members thattheir faith has not been misplaced.Using its independence, impartialityand considerable influence, UTATUSARWHU is already working to cre-ate a new era in which:

Workers’ needs and rights are bet-ter serviced.

Companies like Transnet, Prasa,Bombela,Autopax and Mega Expresshave to declare their lucrative profits.

Worker rewards are more realistic.Production bonuses are fairly shared

between workers and managers.“No war can be won by untrained

and ill-equipped soldiers.Therefore,to achieve these goals we are launch-ing a massive training programmethat will immediately produce 800skilled UTATU SARWHU tradeunion representatives.

“We know that many of the peo-ple we train will be snapped up bymanagement. Frustrating as that is, itis not necessarily a bad thing.At leastmanagement will be getting peoplewho know and understand theworker situation. UTATU SAR-WHU will keep training moreTURs until it has created the caringand and efficient Transnet, Prasa,Bombela,Autopax and Mega Expressthat its members want.

“Along with our training will beour undiluted focus on recruitmentand service delivery.

As UTATU SARWHU grows andbecomes increasingly professional, itsmembers will grow with it and goon to better things.

“It is these qualities and opportu-nities that make UTATU SAR-WHU such an exciting team tobelong to.” �

U TATU SARWHU hasproceeded with trainingfor all its Trade Union

Representatives (TURs) duringAugust and September. “First wetrained the trainers and then thenewly-trained trainers trained theTURs. About 800 people will betrained by the time ourprogramme has been completed,”explains Eddie de Klerk, deputygeneral secretary in charge of the training.

According to Eddie the purposeof the training is to ensure that allTURs speak the same language,understand their roles and are ableto give the union’s members thebest possible service.

These forewords by UTATUSARWHU’s two presidents and itsgeneral secretary stress the impor-tance being placed on the union’straining.

The Financial Services Board(FSB) also came on board by provid-ing consumer education to the

trainees.“The idea is that they willeventually provide this education toall our members,” says Eddie.

George StraussIt is indeed my pleasure to write ashort message to our Trade UnionRepresentatives in this TURguide.You are the backbone of ourunion.

Because we are entering a newera with new challenges, we needto re-assess our policies and rulesand regulations to maximise theadvantages we can draw from adifferent economy and politicalculture.

I believe that to achieve theirgoals UTATU SARWHU tradeunion representatives need toequip themselves with the skillsthat will make them effectiveworkers and leaders within theunion and the wider society.

TURs are encouraged to usethis guide to the best of their abil-ity to ensure that our members

have the highest professional serv-ice and assistance.

Our major responsibility now isto share and spread our experi-ence; to play an active and mean-ingful role by defining and com-municating the political and eco-nomic conditions under which wecan maximise our contributions.

Pholo, GMPTraining and Development is thepillar of every organisation. Itssuccess also depends on the quali-ties of its broader family, i.e. itsemployees or, in our case, itsmembers. It is for these reasonsthat, recognising the importance ofits members, UTATU SARWHUis placing such a strong focus on.

Because they are the face of ourunion in the workplace and ourmembers’ first line of assistance intheir time of need, it is vital thatour TURs (shop stewards) begiven the ammunition they need.Failure to adequately train them

Henry Ford was right. A prosperous economy requires that workers be able to buythe products that they produce. This is as true in a global economy as a national one.

John J. Sweeney

UTATU SARWHUopens way toexciting growthopportunities

Training will ensurebest service

“

would be like sending unarmedsoldiers into a battle environment.

This unique, comprehensive andinformative training manualequips Trade UnionRepresentatives to handle allaspects of representation and dis-cipline, will give them the skills,knowledge and confidence theyneed to handle such labour relatedcases as dismissals (misconduct andincapacity) and disputes and willafford them broader views oforganisational and interest rights.

I hope and trust that you willenjoy the depth, knowledge andguidance it offers.Steve HarrisWelcome to your important role

as an UTATU SARWHU shopsteward.This TUR Guide - theresult of your union’s many yearsof experience - has been designedto help all of our shop stewards to:

Speak with the same voice.Effectively deal with members’queries and problems.Ably represent members atgrievance and disciplinaryhearings.

The more you use this TURGuide, the better you will be ableto serve your members.

We suggest, therefore, that youstudy it carefully and keep it withyou at all times. �

The Train the trainers were trained at UTATU SARWHU's head office.

2 Labour Report Spring 2012

COMMENT NEWS

Steve Harris

T he workers who came togetherto form UTATU SARWHUhave every reason to congratu-

late themselves.Together, they havecreated a rock of stability in a sea ofturmoil.

To understand better what I amsaying, look at the rest of the labour

movement.Almost everywhere youwill see trade unions that:

Are more interested in fightingone another than in serving theirmembers.Spread their wings too far and endup falling far short of theirpromises.Cannot effectively manage theirmembers’ money or achieve cleanauditors’ reports.Have leaders who are featheringtheir own nests.Are divided by internal powerstruggles.Spend their members’ money onpatching up their legal blunders.Have become the lackeys ofpoliticians who make promisesthey will never deliver.Have bought into business anddeveloped management mindsets.Make their members do theirwork for them.

Put race ahead of reality.Follow grandiose dreams that arebad for their members, bad forbusiness and bad for job creation.Are doing too little to fight crime,poverty and unemployment.

What makes UTATU SARWHUso stable and focused and an excep-tion to this grim scenario?

The answers are many.For a start, your union is run byyou, its members - hard-headed,experienced individuals who knowhow to create and sustain a mem-ber-driven union that offers realservice; how to balance their books;how to employ the right peopleand get results from them; how tospread commitment, action andexperience to every corner of theunion’s activities and do what needsto be done to get the desired results

from disinterested – and often dis-honest – bosses.

In short, UTATU SARWHU isbeing run by focused individualswho represent all races and mostskills; who do not take their eye offthe ball and don’t dilute their effortsor their members’ resources.

Solidly as we stand and achieve, weare still just at the beginning. Givenour unity and determination we cangrow to become an even bigger andmore influential trade union.

Close reading of this issue ofLabour Report will reveal that weare already working to fulfill thesegoals.The more co-workers we canbring on board, the sooner we canget there.That is why we rewardthose members who help us expandour numbers and influence.

UTATU SARWHU hasembarked on an extensive trainingprogramme that will help its mem-

bers to become more effectiveunion members and representatives.We recommend that members whohave access to that training make useof it to advance their union’s causeand their own careers.

And good luck with your recruit-ing. If you meet with resistance,refer to the 12 union shortcomingslisted above. Being able to show thatnone of those negatives can be laid atUTATU SARWHU’s door will helpyou to put your point across. �

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM TELEPHONE – (011) 728 0120/1/2/3/5/6/7/9

To get a first-hand feel of the conditions and problems faced by his members,UTATU SARWHU secretaries, Pieter Greyling and Neels Haasbroek, recentlytook the City-to-City bus to Cape Town and a Translux back to Johannesburg.“I enjoyed the experience. It was interesting to live through bus driver days.You get to understand their problems, frustrations and challenges,” he told us.

Pieter and Neels take the bus

Steve Harris, general secretary,has undergone an operation onhis neck and will be out of theoffice for six weeks. All went welland he is doing fine. In themeantime you can address allyour queries to any of the othersecretariat listed on page 15 ofLabour Report.

Neels Haasbroek, Shadrack Mbobo, Tshepo Cindi and PieterGreyling in Cape Town.

Tshepo Cindi and Mr Maluleke in the bus.

17159

NEWSNEWSLabour Report Spring 2012 3

I n 2008 Transnet signed anOutcomes Based ModularLearning (OBML) plan cover-

ing the circumstances of its artisans.Almost four years later – despitethe disputes declared along the way– the agreement had not beenhonoured.

Then, in the summer of 2011,control of Transnet’s affairs waspassed on to Brian Molefe andMalusi Gigaba, the new CEO andthe Minister of Public Affairs.

When the two men took officepledging their belief in fair playand the value of the company’sworkforce, they fostered new hopethat the agreement would finally beimplemented.

But almost two years on, theyhave done nothing to eraseTransnet’s blot of shame.

Despite their declarations ofintended fair play, and despite con-tinued pressure from UTATUSARWHU, and more disputes, nei-ther man has made any movetowards honouring Transnet’sagreement to improve the circum-stances of its artisans.

Says UTATU SARWHU generalsecretary, Steve Harris: “Their neg-lect poses the questions:

What must the workers do whenthey find their managers’ promisesas worthless as dud cheques?

How can workers take manage-ment calls for greater integrity, pro-ductivity and loyalty seriouslywhen their leaders display none ofthose qualities?

“UTATU SARWHU has a clearmessage for Messrs Molefe andGigaba.Their company has signed a

valid agreement. No matter howmuch time and decency they areprepared to waste, that agreementwill ultimately be honoured –UTATU SARWHU is going to seeto that.

“To give Transnet another chanceto clean up its mess, we gave ituntil the end of July this year tocomply with its agreement. Onewould have expected interventionfrom the CEO by this time. Butnone has been forthcoming.Therefore, UTATU SARWHU isgoing to press ahead with a newdispute.

“No matter how many disputeswe have to declare, we will ulti-mately secure our members thedeal they were promised, andwhich they deserve.” �

A fter declaring the integrationof about 1 600 TransnetFreight Rail employees into

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) ‘a totaldisaster,’ UTATU SARWHU hasurged Transnet to learn from theexperience and to avoid taking simi-larly ill-judged decisions.

“Employees deserve consideration.They are not just numbers.They suf-fer and bleed when they are ill-treat-ed,” Steve Harris, UTATUSARWHU’s general secretary, hastold Transnet.

Transnet Freight Rail’s integrationfiasco started in 2006 when 8 000TFR employees, who worked pre-dominantly in the wagon manufac-turing and locomotive maintenancedivisions, were transferred to Transnet

Rail Engineering during a restruc-turing process.At the time, labourthought that was a bad idea - andsaid so.

“We opposed the move for a vari-ety of reasons, but were eventuallyconvinced by what appeared to bethe logic of the business module,”says Steve. “In October 2011, wewere shocked when Transnetrequested a meeting to announce thereintegration of 1 600 TRE employ-ees employed in the running mainte-nance of wagons and locomotives toTFR.The reasons we were given forthis move were not convincing.

“Further meetings were held inNovember 2011 and May 2012.Atboth meetings we objected vigorous-ly to the move when management

was unable to back its plans withsound business arguments.

“Eventually Transnet agreed tooffer the affected employees a 10%increment due to the fact that theywould be working four hours a weekmore than they had been in TRE.

“Notwithstanding the 10% offer,UTATU SARWHU clearly statedthat it is opposed to the transfer aswe do not believe it to be in the bestinterests of the employees or TFR.

“Various roadshows were conduct-ed in July allegedly to inform theemployees in question of the transfer.But they had already been transferredon 1 July.

“It is clear from feedback wereceived at these roadshows that theintegration was carried out haphaz-

UTATU SARWHU launchesnew bid to counterTransnet’s disregard forbusiness ethics

More trainingphotographs

U S slams TFR’s ‘hasty anddisorganised employeeintegration’

The Johannesburg group completed their training.

The Saldanha training group.

Trainees in UTATU SARWHU head office board room.

ardly without any concern about thenegative impact it would have onemployees or any understanding ofthe business ramifications,” says Steve.

Some of the problems experiencedinclude:

Employees not being paid the 10%increment they were promised.Employees not receiving paysheets.Employees not being told whereto report to for spares in order tokeep the service running.

“Worse still, the selection of thoseemployees who had to be transferredwas effected secretly and - we believe- in a manner that allowed some man-agers to misuse their positions, andeven to victimise certain employees.

“All in all, this integration processis one of Transnet’s worstrestructuring efforts in its long lineof failures.We can only hope thatTransnet has learned from itsmistakes and that it will never againact in such a thoughtless anddisorganised manner.” �

Another employer group in U S’s membershipM egabus Coaches is a division of

Unitrans.“The bus driversapproached UTATU SARWHUwith the request that they want tojoin our union,” says Pieter Greyling,deputy general secretary.

This category workers transportcommuters for the Gautrain to and

from various stations.“After engaging with the workers

and a vigorous drive in recruitment,it was confirmed that we reached thethreshold of 50% + 1, that is therequirement set by the LRA toobtain organisational rights at a com-pany.

“We will shortly engage with thecompany to sign a recognition agree-ment and to obtain our organisation-al rights.We will keep you posted,”says Pieter.

In the meantime, welcome to allnew Megabus members. �

20027696

4 Labour Report Spring 2012

NEWSNEWS

LABOUR REPORTLabour Report is the official organ of UTATU SARWHUStreet Address: UTATU House, 182 Louis Botha Ave, Houghton Estate

Postal Address: PO Box 31100, Braamfontein, 2017Telephone: (011) 728 0120/1/2/3/5/6/7/9 Fax: (011) 728 8257/8

Internal: (011) 773 8880 E-mail: headoffice@utatusarwhu.com Website: www.utatusarwhu.com

Durban OfficePO Box 61267, Bishopsgate, 4008 Tel: (031) 823 5927, 082 922 3960E-mail: utatudbn@utatusarwhu.com

Kimberley Office5th Floor, Plims Building, 32 Chapel Street, Kimberley, 8301PO Box 2999, Kimberley, 8300 Tel: (053) 832 1500 Fax: (053) 832 1501

Bloemfontein OfficeRoom 206/207 Second Floor, Handisa Building 39 Blignaut Street, Hilton, BloemfonteinTel: (051) 447 9158 Fax: (051) 447 9207

Published by UTATU SARWHUEditorial and advertising: Schraaiber cc – Fax (011) 234 1501schraader@mweb.co.za ISSN 0004-3869

T he public holiday on 9 Augustexists to celebrate women andthe role they play in our socie-

ty. UTATU SARWHU Exco mem-bers, Zonke Cele and Linda Biljoen,added style and wisdom to separateDurban celebrations.

Zonke Cele, Executive Councilmember for Engineering Eastern Zonein Durban, was a motivational speakerat the celebration held in Durban’sBotanic Gardens on 24 August.

Speaking on her topic ‘Build thebetter woman in you,’ Zonke toldher audience that it was high time

that women stopped pitying them-selves. To illustrate her point, shecited a personal attack by anunknown assailant who last year setfire to her home and brand new car.

“Frightening as that experiencewas, it did not slow me down or stopme from pursuing my goals,” she toldher audience.“If you lose somethingvaluable to you, it is not the end.One has to pick up the pieces andmove on.”

Other issues that Zonke touchedon were the need for women to sup-port one another - especially in the

workplace - and “the disease calledjealousy, which destroys many womenand deprives them of their success.”

Also in Durban, Linda Biljoen,Executive Council member for RailFreight (TFR) Central Zone, attend-ed the Women’s day function atSibiya Casino arranged by the TFRWomen’s Forum where, for the sec-ond consecutive year, she was electedas the Chairperson for the Forum forDurban and Pietermaritzburg. Linda’sleadership is helping the TFRwomen to achieve their goals. �

UTATU SARWHU’s leadingladies prominent atWomen’s Day celebrations

NEWSNEWSLabour Report Spring 2012 5

W ith a more than 65%membership, UTATUSARWHU is proud to be

the only representative union atBombela.

Earlier this year, when the firstwage negotiations since the inceptionof the Gautrain took place, manage-ment was obviously confused at find-ing itself confronted by a determinedand professional trade union.Consequently, there were several hic-cups during the talks. But good sensefinally won out in the end.

“The talks started in March anddragged out longer than they shouldhave,’ UTATU SARWHU generalsecretary, Steve Harris, told LabourReport.

“An agreement was eventuallyreached after we had invoked the dis-

pute mechanism and demonstrated theresolve of our Bombela members.Weonce again thank our members fortheir patronage and support throughthe drawn-out negotiating process.Their solidarity helped to give theirunion a strong presence at Bombela.

“With management now attunedto professional procedures – and theneed to give their employees a fairdeal – in the interests of all partieswe trust that next year’s process willbe a more fluent and efficient one.

“Highlights of the 2012 pay agree-ment are:

An across-the-board increase of 7%on the basic salary to all employeesfrom 1 July.The employer agreeing that therewill be no retrenchments for aperiod of twelve months from date

of signing the agreement, i.e. 30July 2012.The introduction of a guaranteed13th cheque payment calculated as100% of an employee’s one monthsalary in December of each year.The employer will pay a housingallowance of R200 per month.An employee on maternity leavewill receive 100% of the rate ofher salary for the first two monthsof the maternity leave period and0% for the next two months or theemployee can opt for 50% over allfour months.

“Measured against Bombela’sfinancial circumstances and presenteconomic circumstances, this is a fairand realistic pay settlement,” saysSteve. �

A fter many hours of difficultnegotiating, Labour achieveda satisfactory 2012/13

Transnet wage agreement that hasbeen recognised as a good settlementin the present economic climate.

Marring what could have been ateam-building exercise in whichlabour and management workedtogether to achieve a deal that wasfair to all, was Transnet’s persistentdelaying tactics.

“Year after year wage negotiationsare delayed and needlessly stretchedout,” says Steve Harris, UTATUSARWHU’s general secretary.“It isdifficult to understand why Transnetpersists with such an amateurish andde-motivating approach. If theybelieve that their time-wasting canpressure Labour into seeing thingstheir way, they are sadly mistaken.Allthat their aggression and inefficiencyachieves is hardened attitudes andreduced faith in Management’s sin-cerity and ability to lead.

“If Transnet wants to turn thoseperceptions around they shouldensure that their team comes to thetable properly mandated to ensure aquick and smooth negotiationprocess.

“Pay talks are stressful and difficultfor both parties at the best of times.Why add to these pressures whendeadlocks and strikes can be the onlyresult?

“The past is past.All we and ourmembers can now hope for is thatTransnet, Prasa,Autopax andBombela will approach the 2013 paytalks – 1 April and 1 July, respectively– in a more mature manner.

“We again thank our members forbeing so patient and supportive dur-ing the drawn-out process.As thefollowing highlights show, Labourachieved the best possible results inthe current global and Transnet eco-nomic circumstances:

Transnet:The new minimum wage after theincrease of 8,4% to basic salary willbe R58 807 per annum.

The value of the service bonus,which is payable in December of eachyear, will be calculated as follows:

If an employee is in service for thefull calendar year (1 January to 31December) the service bonus valuewill be calculated as the employee’sApril salary, multiplied by 12 anddivided by 12.

If an employee is in the service(from 1 February to 31 December)the service bonus will be calculatedas the employee’s April salary, multi-plied by 11 and divided by 12; fromMarch, multiplied by 10 and dividedby 12.

If an employee is employed afterApril, the service bonus will be cal-culated as the employee’s take on

salary multiplied by the number ofmonths the employee has beenemployed as at December, divided by12.

Employees who terminate serviceprior to the payment date of theservice bonus will not qualify for apro-rated payment.

The value of the medical subsidywill increase to R7 800 per annum.

The value of the housingallowance will increase to R8 640per annum.

Employees who have a disabilitythat has been confirmed will, fromJanuary 2012, qualify for special dis-ability leave of five calendar days overa three-year cycle.This leave will becalled Disability Leave and will beadditional to the normal sick leaveentitlement.

An employee may spread the fourmonths’ paid maternity leave overthe maternity leave period up to sixmonths.

Standby and Nightshift allowancewill increase by 8,4%.

Transnet will increase the overtimethreshold from R172 000 to R183008 per annum effective 1 July 2012as per the Ministerial determinationas published in the GovernmentGazette.

Transnet will reduce the numberof fixed-term contract employees to14% of the permanent workforce by31 March 2013. �

Bombela wagenegotiationssucceededdespite hiccups

Labour won goodTransnet wage agreementin difficult circumstances

S ince regaining recognition atAutopax on 30 May, UTATUSARWHU is again wrestling

with exploitation and safety issuesthat dominate the road transportindustry.

“UTATU SARWHU’s recognitionmeans that the union is acknowl-edged by Autopax and can representits members there,” explains deputygeneral secretary, Pieter Greyling.

“Autopax’s negotiating circum-stance differs from the Transnet situa-tion.The company is regulated bythe South African Road PassengerBargaining Council (SARPBAC)which represents all road transportcompanies and unions and is thecentral body where the industry’sconditions of employment and salaryincreases are negotiated.

“A union must have 1 000 mem-bers to gain a seat on SARPBAC’sbargaining council.

“This year, the Council approvedan 8,5% across-the-board payincrease for all road transport compa-ny employees. But Autopax hasapplied for exemption from comply-ing with the agreement, claimingthat the 8,5% is unaffordable. It saysit can afford to give its employeesonly a 6% pay rise for the followingreasons:

Autopax is not in a profitable posi-tion having recorded a loss of aroundR48 million in the 2011/12 financialyear.

The company recently adjustedthe wages of most of its employees inthe bargaining unit.

Despite being a subsidiary ofPRASA,Autopax receives no subsi-dies.

UTATU SARWHU is opposingAutopax’s application for exemption,arguing that it cannot fund its short-falls out of its employees’ pockets.

“Another issue that the Union istackling is that since 2010 Autopaxhas made use of more than 300 adhoc drivers.The SARPBAC agree-ment makes no mention of ad hocworkers. Yet they are being useddaily to drive Autopax’s buses.

“These ad hoc drivers are beingabused by the company.They do notreceive any benefits nor do they haveany job security. Our aim is to helpthem to find permanent employ-ment,” says Pieter.

UTATU SARWHU is alsoaddressing Autopax’s use of doubledrivers.This means that two driversare employed on long distance routesbut the extra driver has no means ofresting while the other one is driv-ing. So when the extra driver has totake over, he has already been awakeand responsible for eight hours. Inaddition to being exploitative, thismeasure flies in the face of road safe-ty procedures.We need to conduct arisk assessment and find another wayof drivers relieving one another.”

Pieter urges his Autopax membersto recruit more members.“In addi-tion to earning you some usefulrecruiting commissions, your recruit-ing efforts will increase your union’sability to serve you even better,” hesays. �

U S firmly backin the roadtransportfold

UTATU SARWHU = U S= United we are stronger= United we Stand= United we Strive= United we Share= United we Succeed= United we ServeA United State (Union)we remain...

20007364

2920

6 Labour Report Spring 2012

NEWS NEWS

P rofessionals get their factsright. Judging by Vivian Atud’sreferences to UTATU SAR-

WHU (he failed to mention theunion’s SARWHU component) inhis article headlined Unions split:Agood thing for SA’s labour market,Free Market Foundation officials arenot required to meet these standards,so says Eddie de Klerk, deputy gen-eral secretary..

In seeking to make his point ‘It istime union bosses realise that the fussis not about them and the powerthey have as unions,’Vivian Atuderroneously chose to represent Utatu(again ignoring that the unionbecame UTATU SARWHU as aresult of its merger with the lattername’s struggle union) as an ‘addi-tional union’ seeking to make itsvoice heard in the transport industry.

Had Mr Atud been even vaguelyaware of the facts in the transportindustry he would have known that:

Utatu has existed from 1905through its forerunners, (LEMAS)the SA Footplate Staff Associationand Artisans Staff Association(Technical Workers Union). Satawuwas formed only some 70 years later.

UTATU SARWHU whichmerged on 22 June 2012 (SARWHUwas formed in July 2000) is a majortrade union at Transnet, Prasa,Bombela,Autopax and Mega BusCompany.Therefore it is not compet-ing with Satawu.The reverse applies.

UTATU SARWHU cannot, byany definition, be called ‘a splinterunion.’ It is the only Transnet tradeunion that focuses exclusively onworker issues in the railways, harbours

and related enterpise conglomerate.The term ‘splinter union’ better

applies to Satawu who spreads itsmembers’ subscriptions over a rangeof union issues and political causesand is currently facing major break-away by the resignation of their pres-ident that is one of the foundermembers of the NATAWU which isrecruiting Satawu members.

Union bosses do not decide work-er preferences. Having evaluated theservices, i.e. trade union productsavailable to them, it is the workerswho determine trade unionstrengths. Surely a free marketershould have been aware – and evensupportive – of this fact.

Much of what Vivian Atut was try-ing to say in his article had merit.But his sloppy or biased effort negat-ed that good. Here is the article as itwas published.

Unions split: A good thingfor SA’s labour market By Vivian Atud 30 August 2012

In the South African unionisedlabour market, two additional unionsare making their voices heard: one inmining – the Association ofMineworkers and ConstructionUnion (AMCU) in competitionwith the long existing NationalUnion of Mineworkers (NUM) andthe other in transport – the UnitedTransport and Allied Trade Union(UTATU), competing with theSouth African Transport and AlliedWorkers Union (SATAWU).

The activities of these two unions(AMCU and UTATU) have serious-ly affected other union bosses.

According to COSATU SecretaryGeneral, Mr.Vavi,“Consistently wehave to wage battles to defend our-selves and the working class in gen-eral ... with the growing number ofsplinter groups.”

What does Mr.Vavi mean by this?Are unions becoming new monop-oly capital organisations with up to2.2 million members but which,despite their large numbers, cannotstand competition? Competition lawsshould be universally applicable sothat the Competition Commissioncan look into possible anti-competi-tive behaviour of COSATU in rela-tion to other unions. If the rights andinterests of the workers are what theunions stand to protect, one wouldthink that union bosses, instead ofwaging a battle to defend themselves,would investigate why the servicethey offer no longer meets the needsof their intended beneficiaries. In thebusiness world, as soon as a companybecomes aware of new firms emerg-ing in the industry and attracting itscustomers away, it quickly goes backto the drawing board to find ways ofreinventing itself.To stay in the mar-ket, the company has to make sure itcan meet the needs of the future, lureback old customers from the compe-tition, and attract new ones.Thecompany does not waste time wag-ing a battle to defend itself.

It is time union bosses in SouthAfrica realise that the fuss is notabout them and the power they haveas unions. It is about the people theyclaim to represent, the workers.Andthose workers have the right todemand a good service from the

unions to whom they pay a monthlyfee. On each of these unions’ web-sites, there is a call to people workingin the given sectors to voluntarilyjoin the respective union. If they doso, such a worker accepts to paymembership fees and in returnexpects to receive all the benefits thatthe union offers.The war to bewaged is not that of the union bosses- to defend unions and the workers,but that of defending the worker’sright to voluntarily join or not join aunion and to freely choose whichunion they want to belong to.

Like a company, instead of waginga war to defend their unions, unionbosses should be asking themselveswhat they can do differently to keepthe members they have and to attractnew ones.They should be analysingwhat these other unions are doing?Are unions in their current form stillrelevant in South Africa’s currentunionised labour market? Whatchanges need to be made to enableunions to meet the needs of theworkers? How best can unions callfor the proper maximisation of theskills of their individual members andfor them to be adequately rewardedaccording to their skills?

In a democratic society, individualshave freedom of association.Workershave the right to choose to belong ornot to belong to a union. For unionbosses to now propose waging a warto defend those unions that may ormay not meet the needs of workersis short-sighted and misleading.Anyunion that wants to play a relevantrole in the South African labourmarket of the future has to put the

needs of its members first. SouthAfrican workers are becoming moreaware of their rights and will contin-ue to demand more from unions.

Today, South Africa grapples withthe plight of the unemployed. Morethan 6-million individuals of the eco-nomically active population are unableto find work.While the union bossesmake their statements under thewatchful eye of their political partnerleader, the President of South Africa,Jacob Zuma, we will be curious to seewhether he will be critical of the solu-tions proposed by union bosses to pro-tect the interests of the unemployed.

If, instead of talking about war, unionbosses displayed the courage,wisdomand foresight required to lead theworkers,whether employed or unem-ployed, to a better and more rewardingfuture, this country’s entrepreneurialpotential would be unleashed and go along way towards increasing employ-ment opportunities.Giving people backtheir right to make their own decisions,giving them the opportunity to workand earn a living that supports themand their families,will restore their dig-nity and give everyone in the countryhope for the future.

*Vivian Atud is an economist withthe Free Market Foundation.Thisarticle may be republished withoutprior consent but with acknowledge-ment to the author.The viewsexpressed in the article are theauthor’s and are not necessarilyshared by the members of theFoundation. �

O ur hearts continue to go outto the victims of theMpumalanga level-crossing

tragedy, their families and the railemployees involved,” says SteveHarris, general secretary of UTATUSARWHU.“The misery caused byrail crossing accidents has becomeintolerable.To come to grips withthe problem, what is needed is spe-cific action that will identify all high-risk crossings and will force thoseresponsible to take the necessarysteps to make them safe.

“Our trade union does not havethe resources or authority to makerail crossings safer. But it can providethe information needed to make thathappen.Therefore, we are asking ourtrain driver members to identify andrecord the hazardous rail crossings onthe routes they travel.

“As we gather that information wewill pass it on to the Ministry ofTransport, the Road Safety authority,local authorities and rail companiesand other relevant bodies so that,between them, they can decide whomust take responsibility for each dan-gerous rail crossing.

“We will also pass on our crossingsafety information to the nationaland local media to enable them toheighten public awareness of thedanger spots and help the public to

apply the pressures needed to achievespeedy solutions.”

Asked why his union is taking thisunusual step, Steve said:

“Each time there is a rail accidentour train driver and footplate staffmembers suffer as much as the vic-tims and their loved ones. For toomany years now we have had to lis-ten to assurances that everything pos-sible is being done to make thecountry’s level-crossings safer.Patently that has not been happen-ing.

“A possible reason for this lack offocus and action is that specificresponsibility for each level-crossinghas not been apportioned betweenthe numerous bodies responsible forroad and rail safety.

“By precisely pinpointing the dan-ger areas our survey can become thefirst step towards alleviating thatproblem.”

Asked how long UTATUSARWHU’s level-crossing surveywill take, Steve Harris said that it willbe a continuous process for as long asthere are unsafe level-crossings onSouth Africa’s thousands of miles ofrail lines.

“We will not rest for as long asthere is an unsafe level-crossing.Thefacts are these:

When vehicles approach rail cross-

Rail union acts to improvelevel-crossing safety

Eddie corrects a confused free marketer

“

ings the risk of driver error or irre-sponsibility will always exist.

Even if train drivers see vehicleswanting to joust with their trains it isvirtually impossible for the drivers tostop their trains in time.

The only way to prevent levelcrossing disasters is to have the essen-

tial safety measures: warning lights,booms, tunnels or fly-overs, etc.

“The first step towards level-cross-ing safety is to identify the hazardouscrossings. Once that has been doneall South Africans will be equippedto help influence the prompt actionrequired to make them safe.” �

4422

Labour Report Spring 2012 7

NEWS NEWS

P RASA-funded ShosholozaMeyl is the company thatoperates 50% of the country’s

long-distance train services. Becauseof the low investment in its rollingstock and stations over many years,Shosholoza Meyl’s service and effi-ciency standards are in steep decline.

UTATU SARWHU deputy gen-eral secretary, Pieter Greyling, gaveLabour Report this overview of thecompany’s problems:

“There is talk of upgrading somestations, but it will be a long-drawn-out process.The priority is toupgrade the end stations and thedepots in between where operatingand maintenance crews can behoused,” he said.

“Many people will be affected bythese changes.They will also affectcustomer service.The decline inShosholoza Meyl’s services has result-ed is a decrease in passengers as cus-tomers opt to use taxis and busesinstead.That is creating a vicious cir-cle as with fewer passengers, there isless income for upgrades.

Transport for workers“Plans to save the business urgentlyneed to be put in place,” says Peter.“With fewer depots along the wayfor train crews, PRASA is using minibuses to transport crews to man thetrains.That measure is costing thecompany a small fortune. Rubberwheels, as they are called, are not sus-tainable in the long run.The operat-ing cost is about R700 millionwhereas the income is only aboutR400 million. It is madness.

Certain members will be inconve-nienced because they will have torelocate for operational requirements.U S will be there to make the land-ing as soft as possible.This hastremendous cost implications for theindividuals and their families.

“There is also the aspect of trans-porting the crews for miles beforethey can report for duty.

“There is no way that they canbe fully rested before they have totake over the responsibility of oper-ating a train.That is not an idealsituation.” �

A s Steve Harris, UTATUSARWHU general secretary,has frequently stressed, train-

ing in all of its facets is close to theUTATU SARWHU heart – andalways will be. Fortunately, govern-ment and Transnet are now begin-ning to see things the same way.

“Training is the lifeblood of anyenterprise,” says Steve.“Back in theearly 1970s, the SA Railways andHarbours trained between 4 000 and4 500 apprentices.They were trainednot only for employment at theSAR+H.The overflow served thecountry as a whole, the result beingthat the country had sufficient skilledartisans. Unfortunately, even thoughthere has always been a trainingbudget, training did not remain a toppriority through the post-democracyrestructuring processes.That is whytoday we have serious shortages ofvital skills in some key areas.

“The good news now is that this

situation is changing.Transnet hasappointed Mr Khoza to head itstraining drive as a general manager inits Corporate Centre.

“Having always believed that train-ing should be handled from a centralposition within Transnet, we supporthis appointment. Hopefully, it willlead to training initiatives that willbenefit individuals, the company andthe country.

“Mr Khoza’s appointment is alsogood news for labour. It means thatwe can now discuss the industry’straining needs with a single, responsi-ble and influential individual to thebenefit of all parties.

“That kind of interaction hasalready begun. During a recent strate-gy session, Mr Khoza was introduced.At the same time management pre-sented their plan of creating aMaritime Training Centre ofExcellence which will bring about themerger of all current training facilities

of Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) andTransnet National Port Authorities(TNPA).The plan is to have this newCentre of Excellence finalised and upand running in January 2013.

“Labour will be involved duringthe consultation process to ensurethat there is minimum disruption tocurrent training processes. Membersin this environment will be keptinformed of progress,” says Steve.

“We were assured during the pres-entation that the training facilitiesthroughout would continue withtheir current operations.As theequipment being currently used iseither outdated or obsolete, manage-ment has agreed that its trainingmaterial will be revamped as theprocess unfolds.

“UTATU SARWHU is excitedabout Transnet’s new commitment totraining. It will produce well-trained,skilled workers and prove beneficialto the company and the country.” �

Training finally becoming a Transnet priority

ShozolozaMeyl in down-wards spiral

Apply for yourbursary now

Two bursary schemes are availablefrom U S. One bursary scheme pro-vides financial assistance to five can-didates, based on merit.

First you have to fill in the applica-tion form with all necessary attach-ments accompanying it.When itreaches our offices, the membershipdepartment will confirm your mem-bership.You qualify for a bursary ifyou have been a member for at leastfive years.

All applications are acknowledgedupon receipt. Once the ExecutiveCouncil Members sit and reach adecision, all applicants are notified.

The bursaries are allocated directlythrough the different universities. Fillout the Bursary Form and send toUTATU SARWHU’s head office.Wewill then confirm your Union mem-

bership.The form will then be sentback to the member who will thenhand it in at the relevant university.Thereafter the university will decidewho the successful applicant will be,based on merit and their decisionwill be final.

The closing date for both is 15 November 2012.

If you are unclear about any of theabove, please contact UTATUSARWHU’s head office and speak toNatalie Zacharias-Sahib.

9135

All recruiters!Thank you for your hard work, dedica-tion and loyalty to your union. We aregrowing by the day.

Maternity benefitsDid you know? Since August 2011 whenthe benefit was introduced until the endof August 2012 UTATU SARWHU has paidout to 112 mothers.

USBURS001E

Many great reasons forjoining UTATU SARWHU

Many great reasons for joining UTATUSARWHU and you will have no doubtsabout which Transnet trade union offers itsmembers the best value for their money. Thefirst six reasons are that UTATU SARWHU:

Is the trade union at Transnet, Prasa,Bombela, Autopax and Mega Express.

Offers workers the chance of joining theindustry’s finest assembly of races, skilled

union professionals, branch structures andbenefits

Is a truly independent trade unionunburdened by alliances with lying andcheating politicians.

Charges the lowest membershipsubscriptions, and . . .

Is the only Transnet union that spends all

of its members’ subscriptions on gettingthem a better deal.

Offers its members far and away the bestarray of services and benefits.

Add the following 17 primary benefits andyou will get the full picture of whatbecoming a UTATU SARWHU member canachieve for you:

BENEFITS

1. Collective bargainingThe union is registered at the Department ofLabour as a trade union in accordance with theLabour Relations Act 66 of 1995 as amended in2002. All negotiations and agreements con-cerning service conditions and salaries areundertaken at the Transnet Bargaining Council,PRASA, Autopax, Bombela and Mega Express.

2. Disciplinary assistanceAt the discretion of the UTATU SARWHUManagement Committee, members who havebeen dismissed or charged with disciplinarybreaches whilst on duty become eligible forthe assistance of the union’s highly trainedand experienced representatives.

3. Legal assistanceMembers who, during the execution of theirduties, are criminally charged, receive legalassistance at the discretion of the ManagementCommittee. The union utilises the services ofthe best advocates and attorneys.

4. Workmen’s Compensation andUnemployment Insurance FundTo enable members to obtain optimum bene-fit from these funds, UTATU SARWHU providesthem with advice, assistance and representa-tion at tribunal hearings.

5. Professional serviceIn addition to caring for its members’ day- to-dayneeds, UTATU SARWHU represents their interestson various statutory bodies, i.e. the Pension Fund,Medical Fund and UIF board, etc. The union isalso affiliated to FEDUSA who represent their affil-iates at national and international level.

6. Leisure benefitsMembers are entitled to a 30% discount atVoetplaat Park, UTATU SARWHU’S own spa-cious resort on the Natal South Coast.Voetplaat Park offers chalets, cabanas and lux-ury caravan stands and includes amenitiessuch as a children’s play area, swimming pool,convenience store, bar and restaurant.

7. Modest membership feesA monthly contribution for membership of theunion is 1% of a member’s basic salary and isrecovered from his/her salary by stop order

(minimum of R35,00 per month and maximumof R65,00 per month).

8. Rich canvassing rewardsA canvassing fee of R50,00 is paid for everynew member enrolled. An additional R25,00bonus is paid for every ten (10) new membersenrolled. Application forms for membershipare freely available from Branch Secretaries,trade union representatives and Head Office -all that remains is for members to approachnon-members to enrol.

9. Maternity benefitMembers with at least twelve (12) months’membership with UTATU SARWHU are entitledto R1 500 for a single confinement.

10. Unique Discretionary FundThis significant cash benefit is payable only on:Statutory Retirement and Medical Board(Transnet Pension Fund). Retirement Funds: at 63years of age. NB: To qualify for the above benefita member must have at least five (5) years’ con-tinuous membership with UTATU SARWHU.

11. Education bursariesBursaries are available for children of members atthe following Universities: Pretoria, Port Elizabeth,Free State, Stellenbosch, Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal and Potchefstroom – allocated by universi-ties on merit.

In addition five (5) bursaries are annually allocatedto children of members on merit. The applicationforms are available on request from Head Office.

12. Funeral Assistance BenefitAll members are entitled to the funeral assis-tance benefit of between R1 000,00 and R10000,00 (depending on their years of member-ship) which is immediately paid to his/hernominee, spouse or estate.

13. SARWHU Group Funeral SchemeThis scheme will continue. We are in the processof negotiations to possibly extend this benefit toall UTATU SARWHU members in future.

14. Group SchemesExpert advice on Group Insurance Schemes specif-ically designed by Old Mutual (Group Schemes),

Sanlam, Absa, Chartis, Assupol, Momentum andMetropolitan to meet members’ needs.

15. Preferential short-term insuranceschemeMembers receive preferential treatment andpay substantive lower premiums for theirshort-term insurance at our brokers, IndweRisk Services (Prestasi).

16. Communication benefitsUTATU SARWHU regards two way communica-tion with its members on all of the issuesaffecting them as a key function. This isachieved via:

Labour Report – a quarterly newspaper whichis provided to members free of charge.

The UTATU SARWHU web page – which pro-vides news and background information. Itcan be accessed at www.utatusarwhu.co.za.

Regular newsletters - on the latest developmentsto members via use of e-mail, sms and winfax.

Depot/workplace visits - on a regular basis byunion officials.

17. UTATU SARWHU promotional itemsA wide range of UTATU SARWHU inscribedclothing, pens, bags and other items are avail-able at low cost on request.

Head Office contact detailsNon-profit Organisation–Ref: Number 036-913UTATU House, 182 Louis Botha Ave, HoughtonEstate, 2198; PO Box 31100, Braamfontein 2017;Tel: 011 728 0120; Fax: 011 728 8257/8;Internal Fax: 011 773 7920; email: headoffice@utatusarwhu.com Website: www.utatusarwhu.co.za Affiliated to FEDUSA.

Do yourself a favour and join UTATU SARWHUtoday. Thereafter, you will be able to do your-self the bigger favour of earning commissionsby recruiting the non-members around you.Good luck.

Labour Report Spring 2012 9

GLOBALGlobaltransportRound-upWorld labourprepares to protestyouth unemployment

Sunday 7 October will be the 5thAnnual World Day for Decent Work.To mark the occasion, millions ofworkers from over 100 countrieswill take part in a day of action

from dawn in Fiji to sunset inHawaii.

Central to their protests will betheir demand for stronger govern-ment action for economic recovery,job creation for young people,decent working conditions and fullrespect for workers’ rights.

Youth unemployment is as high as60% in some countries, and a wholegeneration of young people facesexclusion from the labour market.This is a social and economic time-bomb.

“The crisis, and the inability orunwillingness of governments torestore jobs and growth, is having aparticularly brutal impact on youngpeople. Official figures show that 75million young people are withoutjobs across the world, many millionsmore are trapped in informal or pre-carious work, and tens of millions ofnew job seekers have no prospect offinding work, or education andtraining to equip them for work inthe future,” said Sharan Burrow,General Secretary of the ITUC.

NZ governmentlaunches anti-unionattack

The New Zealand government hasput forward a controversial paperproposing an amendment to theEmployment Relations Act 2000.The amendments include measuresto:

Remove the requirement to con-clude a collective agreement.

Allow employers to opt out ofmulti-employer bargaining from theoutset.

Permit employers to reduce work-ers’ pay proportionately in responseto partial strikes.

The proposals also make provisionto extend a collective agreementbeyond its specified expiry date shouldan employer initiate collective bargain-ing negotiations (this currently onlyapplies if the union initiates bargain-ing.)

In addition, new employees wouldno longer be covered by a collectiveagreement for the first 30 days oftheir employment; this would allowemployers to employ new workerson inferior terms and conditionscompared with the union collectiveagreement from the start of theiremployment.

Wayne Butson, general secretaryof the Rail and Maritime TransportUnion (RMTU), says:“The govern-ment has decided to continue itsattacks on New Zealand workersand especially organised labour.Thelatest tranche has gone through cabi-net.The changes will be very dam-

aging to the RMTU and its abilityto deliver power and influence onbehalf of members which is a keyfundamental in being able to deliverbetter pay and working conditions.”

Maritime Union of New Zealandgeneral secretary, Joe Fleetwood, callsthe government proposals a directattack on workers’ rights.The moves,he said, were intended to place morepower in the hands of unscrupulousemployers.

“Casualisation and contracting outare already undermining secure jobsand decent conditions of employ-ment.This is reflected in theappalling growth in economicinequality and the high number ofworkplace deaths and injuries inNew Zealand.”

New Zealand unions are organis-ing against the plans.

Anti-privatisationstrikes rock Spanishrailways

One-day strikes by rail workersover plans to privatise the railwayshave been disrupting Spain’s trainservices.The strikes have the backingof a number of union organisations.

The government plans to sell offthe railways in a bid to reduceSpain’s budget deficit. Unionsbelieve that privatisation could havea devastating impact on levels ofsafety and the quality of services.Around 100 000 jobs are also at risk.

De-regulation kills,warns Britain’s TUC

Government plans to abolish safe-ty inspections in thousands of busi-nesses across the UK will put thehealth of millions of workers at risk,the TUC warned recently at itsannual Congress in Brighton.

Responding to plans outlined byBusiness Secretary,Vince Cable,TUC General Secretary, BrendanBarber, said:“Contrary to mythspeddled by ministers, the UK is fac-ing an occupational health epidemic.Over 20 000 people die every yearas a result of a disease they gotthrough their work and a further 1.9million people are living with an ill-ness caused by their work.

“Some of the ‘low risk’ workplacesidentified by the government, suchas shops, actually experience highlevels of workplace injuries.This willonly get worse if employers find iteasier to ignore safety risks.

“This epidemic will only bestopped by ensuring that employersobey the law, and when everyemployer knows their workplace canbe visited at any time.

“Health and safety regulation isnot a burden on business - it is abasic protection for workers. Cuttingback on regulation and inspectionswill lead to more injuries and deathsas result of poor safety at work.”

Man up and take control of your health

W ant to be strong and fitenough to play withyour grandkids one day?

Of course you do. Here’s how youcan make it a reality.

The funny thing with age isthat it just kind of creeps up onyou. One day you’re young andinvincible; the next – body partsthat once were agile and fit startreminding you that those daysare gone.

One thing is for sure – if youneglect your health in good times,it will start failing you in later life.Fortunately, there is a lot that youcan do to boost your health andwellness.

By taking regular time out fromyour hectic schedule you canreduce stress, and through diet,exercise, lifestyle and regularscreenings you can help preventlife-threatening illnesses and dis-ease.

Screenings in particular canpoint out early stages of disease, orareas of poor health that needattention for disease prevention.The prognosis is far more positivewith early disease intervention,which is why it is vital to go forregular screenings. Make it a pri-ority on your annual calendar.

October is breast cancer monthand women are encouraged to go

for mammograms. But there are afew tests and screenings that mencan go for to ensure their health isstill on track. Here’s a list of teststhat are critical for men and theirhealth:

Prostate screening Glaucoma screening HIV Flu vaccinations Pneumococcal vaccination for

adults 65 years and older Take control of your health. �

O ctober is breast cancermonth.

Consider the following:Breast cancer is the most com-

mon cause of cancer deaths world-wide. Luckily, mammogramscreenings can help detect breastcancer early and save thousands oflives. Detecting breast cancer earlymeans the chance of full recoveryis very good. And remember, it isnot only women who can getbreast cancer.

Understanding what amammogram screening isA mammogram is an x-ray of thebreasts used to detect tumours inthe breast tissue. Early diagnosisand treatment can reverse or pre-vent the spread of breast cancer.Yearly mammograms can pick upabnormalities in the breast longbefore any obvious physical signsdevelop.Without a mammogram,

tumours can grow and spread toother parts of the body, slowlydestroying it.

When detected in the earlystages of development, a breasttumour can be removed withminor surgery. If this isn’t done,the lump can grow and spread andeventually the breast will have tobe removed or aggressive therapywill be needed.The therapy mayfail and the patient will die.

Just because you don’t have afamily history of breast cancer oryour previous mammogram resultwas normal, does not mean youare not at any risk. Once youreach the age of 40, you should gofor yearly mammograms.

More information about themammogramSome women are reluctant to havea mammogram, because they areworried about the level of radia-

tion exposure. However, mammo-grams use only a low dose of radi-ation, making it a relatively safetest. During a mammogram, aradiographer will position yourbreast in the mammogram equip-ment and ask you to change posi-tions between images.You musthold very still during the proce-dure.

The best time for a mammo-gram is one week after your men-struation when you breasts are lesstender. On the day of your test, donot wear deodorant, powder orlotion under your arms or breasts.These can look like calcium spotson your x-ray.You may find itmore convenient to wear a skirt orpants so you’ll only need to takeoff your shirt for the exam.

Don’t delay – go for a mam-mogram and make sure you aresafe. �

Prevention is better thancure – mammograms canhelp save lives

43447

10 Labour Report Spring 2012

UTATU SARWHU DIRECTORYArea 1 – Kwazulu-NatalPOSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman John Short 031 361 6164 071 481 6975 031 361 4870 john@utatu.comVice-Chairman VACANTSecretary Jabulile Madonsela 035 905 3807 083 365 4621 035 905 3181 Jabulile.Madonsela@transnet.net

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLDurban Infra Chairman Linda Biljoen 031 361 4318 031 361 4107 Linda.Biljoen@transnet.net 071 322 7439

Secretary Raymond Johns 031 361 5730 031 361 4731 Pieter.Johns@transnet.net 083 468 6010Ermelo Chairman Egbert Olivier 017 801 2266 egbertolivier@vodamail.co.za 082 612 8519

Secretary Rinus Jansen van Rensburg 017 801 2217 017 801 2000 Danie.terblanche2@transnet.net 082 373 2521KZN Chairman Fisani Mabaso 078 738 7296

Secretary Tammi Jwara (031) 361 5300/1 (031) 361 5184 083 426 0684 Tammi.Jwara@transnet.net Ladysmith Chairman Bob Corringham 036 271 2036 036 271 2298 Bob.Corringham@transnet.net 083 387 8914

Secretary Henry Jooste 036 271 2109 hfjooste@telkomsa.net 083 225 2275PRASA Durban Chairman Rodney Blom 031 361 7821 086 543 7660 rblom2@metrorail.co.za 083 659 3089

Secretary D Brand 031 361 7587 031 361 7798 mbrand@metrorail.co.za 083 501 2006Newcastle Chairman Willem van der Hyde 034 328 7202 034 328 7254 UtatuNcs@transnet.net 083 308 5375

Secretary Annolien Scholtz 034 328 7201 034 328 7242 Annolien.Scholtz@transnet.net 083 462 2844Pietermaritzburg Chairman JJ Wahl 033 897 2772 033 897 2773 082 443 5876

Secretary CL Holtzhausen 033 897 2460 033 897 2460 Charlesh@vodamail.co.za 082 336 2708Maritime Durban Chairman Steven Marais 031 361 3029 031 361 3028 Steven.marais@transnet.net 083 382 2083

Secretary Ram Naicker 031 361 3722 031 361 3864 083 378 6814Maritime Richards Bay Chairman Ashmerelda Dunn 035 905 3985 035 905 3189 Ashmerelda.Dunn@transnet.net 083 273 0985

Secretary Jabulile Madonsela 035 905 3807 035 905 3181 Jabulile.Madonsela@transnet.net 083 365 4621Richards Bay Chairman Carl Gibson 035 905 3227 035 905 3534 Carl.Gibson@transnet.net 083 504 6329

Secretary Walter Hattingh Walter.Hattingh@gmail.com 083 547 3059TRE Durban Chairman Frank Heuer 031 361 4733 031 361 5702 Frank.Heuer@transnet.net 084 614 3916

Secretary Rowan Smith 031 361 4196 utatutrewag@transnet.net 083 272 8782TRE Traction Durban Chairman VACANT

Secretary VACANTTRE Richards Bay Chairman Zonke Cele 035 906 7372 035 906 7015 zonke@utatu.com 082 567 6637

Secretary TR Myeni 035 905 2062 073 423 2733Umbilo Chairman Anthony Parmasur 031 361 5205 031 361 4355 082 376 8074

Secretary Andre Smit 031 361 4033 031 361 4033 083 439 7078Vryheid Chairman VACANT

Secretary AM Ndwandwe 034 989 9376 034 989 9349 Alexander.Ndwandwe@transnet.net 083 710 4031Wentworth Chairman Reagan Govender 031 361 5346 031 361 4350 072 690 0706

Secretary Shaun Balmogin sbalmogin@gmail.com 081 462 8344Area 2 – East London – Port ElizabethPOSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman Chris Greyvenstein 043 700 4317 083 558 4430 043 700 4216 Christian.greyvenstein@transnet.netVice-Chairman VACANTSecretary Rob Lottering 043 700 4233 083 409 8688 043 700 4575 bugle@mweb.co.za

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLBurgersdorp Chairman Christo Meyer 051 653 9231 051 653 9232/9205 082 412 5510

Secretary PH Wheeler 051 653 9219 051 653 9205 083 409 8689Cape Region Chairman Gladman Ntushe (041) 507 5192/1 073 894 8180 (041) 507 5014 Fritz.devries2@transnet.net

Secretary Thoba Xotyeni (041) 507 5167 071 180 8333 (041) 507 5006 thoba.xotyeni@transnet.netCradock Chairman JR Erasmus 049 802 8224 049 842 1426 Basie.Pain@transnet.net 082 591 9826

Secretary ND du Preez 048 801 8227 083 295 0307East London Chairman Chris Greyvenstein 043 700 4371 043 700 4344 Christian.greyvenstein@transnet.net 083 558 4430

Secretary Rob Lottering 043 700 4233 043 700 4575 bugle@mweb.co.za 083 409 8688Mossel Bay Chairman Marius Prinsloo 044 604 6236 044 604 6209 BepVoor@transnet.net 084 582 5932

Secretary VACANTPort Elizabeth Chairman Wynand van Tonder 041 507 5204 041 368 2793 Wynand.vantonder@transnet.net 071 671 3523

Secretary Edwin Godfrey 041 507 5167 041 507 5006 Edwin.godfrey@transnet.net 084 807 9351Maritime East London Chairman Bill Hart 043 700 2237 086 630 7920 Bill.Hart@transnet.net 083 287 4234

Secretary Keith Hoffmann 043 700 2068 043 700 2044 Keith.Hoffmann@transnet.net 072 154 8818Maritime Port Elizabeth Chairman Albert Visani 073 396 7473

Secretary Lareece Volkwyn 041 507 1958 041 507 4869 Lareece.Volkwyn@transnet.net 083 961 2910PRASA East London Chairman Margaret Ndima 043 700 2118 082 921 0790

Secretary Phumeza Mbombo 043 700 2708 043 700 2622 pmbombo@metrorail.co.za 083 340 3765TRE Swartkops Chairman J.L. Cyster 041 507 5191 041 507 5189 Julius.Cyster@transnet.net 083 565 2957

Secretary Adriaan Grobler 041 507 5194 041 507 5224 Grobler9@yahoo.com 084 236 1902TRE Uitenhage Chairman Clayten du Plessis 041 994 2288 041 994 2412 Clayten.duplessis@transnet.net 078 212 6211

Secretary Malcolm Bubb 041 994 2341 041 994 2412 Malcolm.Bubb@transnet.net 083 952 4967Queenstown Chairman Brian Hayes 045 808 2074 045 808 2003 084 406 9544

Secretary Leon van Heerden 045 808 2022 045 808 2150 083 944 9385Western Cape Chairman Lundi Gantsho (021) 940 2036 078 368 5595 (021) 940 2899

Secretary Monwabisi Lamani (021) 940 2036 083 897 4756 (021) 940 2899Area 3 – Western CapePOSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman C Vermaak 021 507 2509 084 600 3304 Vermaak007@telkomsa.netVice-Chairman H Smith 023 348 4262 071 363 3938 023 348 4260 Henk@breede.co.zaSecretary L Saul 022 703 2229 079 225 9168 Lutwena.Saul@transnet.net

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLBeaufort West Chairman Sakkie Janse van Vuuren 023 449 2177 Jacques.JansevanVuuren@transnet.net082 355 1166

Secretary Lillian van Niekerk 023 449 2402 Lillianvanniekerk@gmail.com 082 870 3067Cape Town Chairman Danie Groenewald 021 940 2114 Fax 021 919 4211 djgroenewald@gmail.com 083 458 3726

Secretary VACANTLions Head Chairman William Cook 021 449 3781 021 449 5524 William.cook@transnet.net 082 405 2198

Secretary D Dove 021 449 5330 021 507 2025 082 690 5055PRASA Disa Chairman Unathi Ndzima 021 940 3164 086 663 0655 ANadmin@metrorail.co.za 083 337 2926

Secretary Eldridge Cleophas 021 940 2586 021 940 3512 ECleophas@metrorail.co.za 072 384 3670PRASA Liesbeeck Chairman Connie Vermaak 021 507 2509 021 556 4018 Vermaak007@telkomsa.net 084 600 3304

Secretary Sandra Freeks sfreeks@metrorail.co.za 083 286 9327PRASA Tafelberg Chairman Owen Hudson 021 449 5532 021 449 2236 Utatu_to@metrorail.co.za 083 490 4049

Secretary John Scheepers 021 449 5879 jscheepers@metrorail.co.za 072 923 1883Maritime Cape Town Chairman Trevor Wasserfall 021 449 2148 086 631 0348 Trevor.wasserfall@transnet.net 071 362 6219

Secretary Gwyn du Plessis 021 449 3657 021 449 6172 Gwyn.duplessis@transnet.net 071 861 9822Maritime Saldanha Chairman David van der Merwe 022 703 4312 022 703 4360 David.vandermerwe@transnet.net 072 841 1522

Secretary Ricardo van der Merwe 022 703 4714 Ricardo.vandermerwe@transnet.net 078 497 8145Saldanha Orex Chairman Walter Smith 022 703 3467 Walter.smith@transnet.net 074 143 4301

Secretary Lutwena Saul 022 703 2229 Lutwena.Saul@transnet.net 079 225 9168Sishen Chairman PFJ Mostert Sonmos@absamail.co.za 073 149 2224

Secretary N Kleynshans 053 723 9201 Nicokleynhan1@hotmail.com 078 542 8796TRE Cape Town Chairman Heinrich Laubscher 021 507 2966 utatusrx@transnet.net 071 565 0303

Secretary TJ Capes utatusrx@transnet.net 072 064 1046Worcester Chairman Henk Smith 023 348 4262 023 348 4260 Henk@breede.co.za 071 363 3938

Secretary Leon Steyn 023 348 4218 023 348 4304 steyn@cwnet.co.za 083 293 7523Area 4– Free StatePOSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman VACANTVice-Chairman Russell Veitch 051 408 2653 079 495 7203 Russell.Veitch@transnet.netSecretary Marius Viljoen 051 408 3543 073 199 6363 Marius.Viljoen@transnet.net

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLBethlehem Chairman Ally Nhlapo 058 302 2033 058 302 2085 ally.nhlapo@transnet.net 072 763 1459

Secretary Thabo Taaso 058 302 2160 058 302 2081 083 409 6572Bloemfontein Chairman VACANT

Secretary VACANTFree State Chairman Errol van Aardt (051) 408 2269 078 658 7199 086 647 5395 Errol.vanaardt@transnet.net

Secretary Diamond Letlojane (016) 970 5237 074 793 0569 (016) 970 5288 Molefe.Letlojane@transnet.netKroonstad Chairman Douw Dreyer 011 978 2737 douw@utatu.com 082 378 3130

Secretary Andries Kruger 056 268 2342 056 268 2145 083 451 7351TRE Bloemfontein Chairman VACANT

Secretary Marius Viljoen 051 408 3543 051 408 2125 Marius.Viljoen@transnet.net 073 199 6363Area 5 – Gauteng Central (Johannesburg)POSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman Hennie Stoltz 011 773 4900 083 709 1480 011 773 4744 hstoltz@prasa.comVice-Chairman Jan Jordaan 011 950 1349 083 709 1634 086 605 1398 jjordaan@metrorail.co.zaSecretary PA Swart 011 773 4790 082 898 2440 011 902 8375 paswart@telkomsa.net

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLBombela Chairman Kenneth Muthige Kenneth.Muthige@bombelaop.co.za 079 564 5252

Secretary Muntu Khumalo (Home/Cell) 073 164 3109 Muntu.Khumalo@bombelaop.comBraamfontein Chairman Hennie Stoltz 011 773 4900 011 773 4744 hstoltz@prasa.com 083 709 1480

Secretary RS Ratshibaya 011 773 3370 suzan.radzilani@gmail.com 082 927 5657Esselenpark Chairman Andre van Rooyen 011 929 2317 011 929 1225 andre.vanrooyen2@transnet.net 082 469 2390

Secretary Annalien Venter 011 929 1349 Annalien.Venter@transnet.net 082 700 3841Gauteng Chairman Connors Leslie connors.francis@transnet.net 073 062 5288

Secretary Pamela Ncuru (011) 960 2379 (011) 960 2068 Pamela.Ncuru@transnet.net 083 968 8635 Germiston Chairman Ruphus Machoga Utatu.WheelsGermiston@transnet.net 072 818 5217

Secretary TV Nxumalo zenzin@iburst.co.za 083 282 0623Heidelberg Chairman PC Njowa 016 340 7227 011 820 2289 Peter.Njowa@transnet.net 083 399 9626

Secretary Willem Swarts 016 340 7212 016 340 7213 willem.swarts2@transnet.net 083 708 1051Isando Chairman Corrie Moller 011 570 7405 011 570 7466 Corrie.moller@transnet.net 083 457 8102

Secretary Desmond Nkhame 011 570 7170 UtatuIsando/Elandsfontein@transnet.net 073 366 3382Kaserne Chairman MN Mathekga 011 330 6061 F 011 30 6920 072 799 7297

Secretary FJ de Koker 011 330 6061 011 330 6771 scott.dekoker@transnet.net 082 324 9169 Krugersdorp Chairman Manuel Jardine 011 950 1271 011 950 1261 Utatukgr@transnet.net 073 237 6381

Secretary Steven Coetzee 011 950 1271 011 950 1261 083 324 0556Leeuhof Chairman Morne Rossouw 016 420 6246 016 420 6352 Morne.Rossouw@yahoo.com 084 504 0407

Secretary Willem Deport 016 420 6246 wcdella@gmail.com 082 897 0747PRASA Central Chairman PA Swart 011 773 4790 011 902 8375 paswart@prasa.com 082 898 2440

Secretary CL Botha 011 773 4790 086 562 9828 Utatuwits@metrorail.co.za 083 276 8662PRASA East Chairman Freddie Grobler 011 570 7011 011 570 8715 fgrobler@prasa.com 083 276 8715

Secretary Freek Oberholster 011 365 7479 011 365 7434 083 276 8653PRASA West Chairman Stephen van Winkel 011 278 2304 011 278 2304 utaturfr@metrorail.co.za 083 276 5863

Secretary Jan Jordaan 011 950 1349 086 605 1398 jjordaan@metrorail.co.za 083 709 1634Parktown Chairman Khadija Khan 011 584 0762 011 773 2588 Khadija.Khan@transnet.net 083 591 5474

Secretary Kamo Kumalo 011 584 1120 Dikamohelo.Kumalo@transnet.net 076 977 7178Sentrarand Chairman ZC Khoza 011 960 2197 011 960 2068 076 265 1869

Secretary Braam van Schalkwyk 011 960 2197 084 622 5608Springs Chairman Patience Begwa 011 365 7558 011 365 7544 083 517 3097

Secretary Frans van Wyk 011 365 7361 011 365 7544 082 379 6521Standerton Chairman Geert Buter 017 712 2831 017 712 1512 072 299 6682

Secretary VACANTTRE Germiston Chairman Bossie Boshoff 011 820 2716 Bossie.Boshoff3@transnet.net 084 785 2827

Secretary Wickus de Venter 011 820 2614 011 820 2142 wickus.vandeventer@transnet.net 082 489 9396

Labour Report Spring 2012 11

Deaths

UTATU SARWHU DIRECTORY

June Mokgohloa MB Member Pyramid SouthNkosi Bulanga JD Member Richards BayMangaroo SR Child UmbiloDu Toit DJ Member WorcesterDonda E Member Richards BayKhumalo BT Member SalvokopJones VJ Member Port ElizabethPelser HJ Member BloemfonteinZoeker AH Member KaserneKorner ML Member Cape TownLubbe MM Spouse SentrarandCleophas CW Member SaldanhaMc Alpine TL Member PretoriaManyike ME Member GermistonNtsane BS Member KroonstadAckermann AC Member ErmeloMakapela PJ Member RustenburgLengoasa RT Member Johannesburg

July Basson WD Spouse UitenhageKoekemoer V Spouse BraamfonteinNgomane MJ Member BraamfonteinMkhwanazi M Member EmpangeniMtshali MB Member DurbanLourens MH Member NewcastleMakhaphela D Member SentrarandDu Plessis TMB Member Cape TownStander B Spouse Cape TownLengoasa S Member PretoriaTshabalala MW Member KaserneKlyn AJ Member Richards BayMjilo MJ Member BayheadJanse Van Rensburg WS Member VryheidPosthumus JJ Spouse PostmasburgJansen Van Vuuren A Member KimberleySelahla T Member Alrode

August Msomi SP Member JohannesburgMbonjwa M Member GermistonFredericks HS Spouse Cape TownAdonis NN Child PretoriaBeukes CJH Spouse PretoriaMataga SC Member KoedoespoortMakhaye BE Member DurbanMdladla N Member DurbanStrydom JJ Member DurbanMabika BP Member Richards BayVan Wyk C Member BraamfonteinSmuts LM Member SaldanhaLombard DB Spouse GermistonEsterhuizen JC Member KoedoespoortMdoweni KD Member SpringsMthethwa B Member Richards BayBadenhorst DEM Member Rustenburg

TRE Sentrarand Chairman Willem de Kock 011 960 2475 011 960 2475 Willem.dekock2@transnet.net 084 621 3947Secretary Daan de Kock 011 960 2502 086 673 9077 ddekock@webmail.co.za 082 418 2035

Area 6 – Northern CapePOSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman Kobus Zara 053 838 3381 082 655 9058 053 838 3363 Jacobus.Zara@transnet.netSecretary JF van der Merwe 053 494 3226 083 378 8206 053 494 3223 Vice-Secretary M Gouws 053 838 3140 053 838 3245

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLDe Aar Chairman P van der Westhuizen 053 632 8308 053 632 8216 073 317 6659

Secretary KD Eiman 053 632 8239 053 632 8237 073 626 1072Coligny Chairman VACANT

Secretary VACANTKimberley Chairman Kobus Zara 053 838 3381 053 838 3363 Jacobus.Zara@transnet.net 082 655 9058

Secretary JP Maree 053 838 3288 053 838 3237 083 284 5804Mafikeng Chairman VACANT

Secretary OV Tokwe 018 381 9295 078 970 6035Northern Cape Chairman Lebogang Thomas (022) 703 3424 (022) 703 3422 076 609 9110

Secretary Songezo Joseph Xesi (053) 838 3013 (053) 838 3251 Yardmasterkimberley@transnet.net 082 785 0782North West (Klerksdorp) Chairman AT Greeff 018 406 2047 018 462 1171 082 854 9606

Secretary HA Schoeman 018 406 2047 082 790 6477Postmasburg Chairman JA Mostert 053 313 7241 053 313 7214 Johannes.Mostert@transnet.net 083 388 1569

Secretary DCR Swart 053 313 7262 053 313 7206 083 383 8379Upington Chairman LO Ferriera 054 338 2237 054 338 3472 083 704 0316

Secretary M. Phillips Margorie.phillips068@gmail.co.za 082 821 7535Warrenton Chairman FP van der Merwe 053 494 3236 053 494 3223 fvdmerwe@vodamail.co.za 083 791 2563

Secretary JF van der Merwe 053 494 3236 053 494 3223 083 378 8206Area 7 – Gauteng North (Pretoria)POSITION NAME TEL CELL/HOME FAX E-MAILChairman Pote Fourie 012 842 5090 083 283 7482 012 800 3678 Hendrik.fourie2@transnet.netVice-Chairman Owen Jones 012 842 5006 072 216 1490 012 842 5841Secretary VACANT

POSITION NAME TEL FAX E-MAIL CELLKomatipoort Chairman VACANT

Secretary JM Swartz 013 793 9979 013 793 8364 079 632 8955Limpopo Chairman Stephen Matlala 072 532 6699

Secretary Sonnyboy Mosebedi (015) 299 6487 (011) 774 9462 Sonnyboy.Mosebedi@transnet.net 084 845 8919Lydenburg Chairman LGJ Potgieter 013 235 8201 086 630 5175 Leon.Potgieter2@transnet.net 076 661 6280

Secretary VACANTPRASA Pretoria Chairman Eddie Flavell 012 521 6232 012 521 6206 Utatu@prasa.com 083 554 8015

Secretary RJ Smit 012 521 4385 012 521 6206 Utatu@prasa.com 083 554 7994Mpumalanga Chairman Steven Leshabane (013) 655 7823 (013) 655 7849 Steven.Leshabana@transnet.net 083 559 9419

frs322mp@gmail.comSecretary Vukosi Khosa (013)752 9236 (013) 752 9416 vukosi.khoza@transnet.net 072 376 8574

Musina Chairman Wikus du Toit 015 534 7214 015 534 7245 Jan.DuToit@transnet.net 083 380 9809Secretary HP Janse van Vuuren 015 534 7209 078 796 4660

Nelspruit Chairman VACANTSecretary Kallie Steenkamp 013 752 9481 013 752 9283 Kallie.Steenkamp@transnet.net 083 461 2969

Phalaborwa Chairman VACANTSecretary CAA Jansen 015 781 9042 072 822 7628

Pietersburg Chairman Hennie van der Hyde 015 308 8237 015 308 8201 hendrik.vanderhyde@transnet.net 083 599 9901Secretary AW Badenhorst 015 299 6232 015 299 6246 Albert.Badenhorst@transnet.net 082 384 1050

Pretoria Chairman Manie Neethling 012 315 8237 086 553 8527 matien@mweb.co.za 082 876 9190Secretary Niekie Luus 012 842 6050 012 842 6016 Niekie.Luus@@transnet.net 083 282 0776

Pyramid Chairman Ore van den Bergh 012 521 6255 076 792 0492Secretary JC Rossouw 012 521 9452 012 521 6297 2771210710@vodamail.co.za 082 779 0475

Rustenburg Chairman LE Moeketsi 014 590 2004 014 590 2064 lebohang.moeketsi@transnet.net 073 240 2447Secretary M Moletsane 014 590 2243 014 590 2243 083 929 7143

Thabazimbi Chairman Riaan Bisschoff riaanbiss@gmail.com 082873 8307Secretary VACANT

TRE Pretoria Chairman Pote Fourie 012 842 5090 012 842 5841 Hendrik.fourie2@transnet.net 083 283 7482Secretary Owen Jones 012 842 5006 012 842 5841 Owen.Jones@transnet.net 072 216 1490

TRE Koedoespoort Chairman Adam Slabbert 012 842 5273 012 842 5589 Adam.Slabbert @transnet.net 083 651 0017Secretary Wielligh Meyer Arend.Meyer@transnet.net 071 233 9060

Tshwane Chairman William Mogamisi (012) 521 9452 (012) 521 9497 mogamisim@webmail.co.za 082 569 8315Treasurer Suping Seathlolo (012) 315 8237 (012) 315 8279 s.seatlholo@yahoo.com 078 442 4581

Waterval-Boven Chairman VACANTSecretary Paul Stemmit 013 257 0507 082 622 9641

Witbank Chairman VACANTSecretary VACANT

DEATH GRANT CLAIM FORM

To be completed by Branch Secretary (or member of Branch Committee) IMMEDIATELY UPON DEATH OF member and forwarded to the General Secretary, P.O. Box 31100, Braamfontein, 2017. A copy of the death certificate (certified), ID documents, bank statement and marriage certificate must be attached.

DETAILS OF MEMBER

NAME AND SURNAME: …………………………………………………......................……...…............................

DEPOT/CENTRE: ………………..………………………… JOB TITLE: ……………..............…..........................

SAP NO: .............................................................................I.D. NO: ..................................................................

DETAILS OF DECEASED

NAME AND SURNAME: (Deceased): ..………………………….....................………………..............................

DATE OF BIRTH: ………………………….………………… I.D. NO: ………………………..…...........................

DATE OF DEATH: ...............……………………………………..…………………….............................................

PLACE AND DISTRICT WHERE DEATH OCCURRED: …………....………………...…..…..............................

WAS DECEASED MARRIED AT TIME OF DEATH: ………………………....................…….............................

DETAILS OF CLAIMANT

FULL NAMES: ...................................................................................................................................................

ADDRESS: …………………………………….………..........................................................................................

CONTACT NO: Home ……................................Work: …………..................... Cell: .........................................

BANKING DETAILS: Bank: ................................................... Branch: ..............................................................

Account no: ……………………………........................ Branch code: ................................................................

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRANCH OFFICIAL / TUR

TEL: ……………..…............ FAX: ….………..………………..… DATE: …….……………………...................

NAME & SURNAME: …………………............................................. SIGNATURE: …………………………...

REF: USDGCLAIM001E

UTATU SARWHU INFO GUIDE

The General Secretary, UTATU SARWHU, PO Box/Posbus31100, Braamfontein, 2017(Please print)

Business unit: Title:

Initials: Surname:

Employee no:

Tel:

New home address:

Previous address:

NB: Please furnish previous address as it appears on the forwarding envelope.

Change of address

12 Labour Report Spring 2012

HiddennamecompetitionIn every issue of LabourReport, UTATU SARWHUpublishes the latestSAP/employee numbers often members from themembership lists – drawn atrandom.

Each latest SAP/employeenumber appears somewherein the newspaper. If yours isone of the lucky latestSAP/employee numberspublished and you can findit, claim your prize bywriting to:

UTATU SARWHU HiddenName Competition

PO Box 31100,Braamfontein, 2017

Give your name, latestSAP/employee number andaddress and you will be sentR100.

Voetplaatpark – Tel 039 681 3325

Transmed Call Centre: 0800 450 010

Housing: FNB Home Loans– 0860 33 44 55

FNB Smart Bond – 0860 644 644

TransnetPension/Retirement Fund(Metropolitan Life) 011 774 5444

CCaallll CCeennttrreess ffoorr:: Transnet Second Defined

Benefit Fund - 011 5878000 (select option 1)

Transnet Retirement Fund –011 587 8000 (selectoption 2)

Transnet Pension Fund –011 587 8000 (selectoption 3)

Aon Consulting – Tel: Jhb011 944 7000 website:www.aon.co.za

Phonenumbersto know

NEWS NEWSLabour Report Spring 2012 13

Summer – sun wiseI t’s summertime! In the words of a

great poet,“It’s summer, sun andsapphire for me!”

After a cold, gloomy winter, every-one is looking forward to the sum-mer sun and the sapphire sky.Andthere’s no better place to welcomethe sun.

South Africa is known globally forits glorious sunshine. But it is not allgood news.The country has one ofthe highest incidences of skin cancerin the world and it is rising.Thegood news is that skin cancer is easilypreventable and if detected early,highly curable!

A common misperception is thatonly fair skinned people are prone toskin cancer.According to the CancerAssociation of South Africa (CANSA)every South African can get skin can-cer.Although people with a darkerskin are less susceptible because theirskin contains more natural melaninthat protects skin from sun damage,they too can get skin cancer.

Everyone should be wearing sun-screen and take precautions beforeenjoying the African sun.

High risk:Answer the following question todetermine if you are at high risk:

Do you:Have a fair skin, especially if you

have red hair?Have many moles or skin spots?Had skin cancer before, or in yourfamily?Play sports outdoors, especiallyduring the hottest time of the day?Work in the sun?Spend a lot of driving around inthe car?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any one ormore of these questions, you have totake extra precautions.

Burn, baby, burn!There is no such thing as a safe tan!!!

All sunburns are potentiallydangerous.Daily UV rays build up over time.As much of 80% of UV- relatedskin damage occurs by the age of18.Just one blistering sunburn as achild significantly increases the riskof developing melanoma later onin life.

Super sunscreen:What does a sun protection factormean?

If you usually start to burn within5 minutes, a sunscreen with a sunprotection factor (SPF) of 15 protectsyour skin for 15 times longer i.e. 75minutes. Remember that there is no

such thing as a complete block.CASA recommends a SPF of 15 andmore.

Remember to put on sunscreenthroughout the day, especially whenenjoying a day next to the pool oron the beach.

Protect yourself:Stay in the shade as much aspossible or under an umbrella.Remember that UV rays reflect ofcement, water, sand and even grass,so you can get sunburn even inthe shade.Limit total time in the sun,especially between 10:00 and15:00 Cover up! Wear a thickly woven hat with awide brim and clothing that isdensely woven.Look for our CANSA seal ofrecognition on the swing tags.Your eyes also need protectionagainst the sun. Look out forsunglasses with lenses recognisedfor effective UV protection byCANSA.

Watch out for moles!It is always good to know your ownbody. Self examination is essential.Have a look at your moles.There isan easy ABCD-method to checkthem.

The ABCD of moles:Look for:

Asymmetry – a mole or mark withone half unlike the other. Commonmoles are round and symmetrical.

Border irregularities – scalloped orpoorly defined edges. Commonmoles have smooth even borders.

Colour variety and consistency –tan, brown, black, red, white andblue. Common moles are usually asingle shade of brown or black.

Diameter – larger than 6mm.

If you have any doubts, it is best tosee your doctor immediately. Skincancer can be beaten if it is detectedearly!

Enjoy our glorious sunshine, butprotect yourself and your loved ones!

For more information Contact CANSA toll free on 0800

22 66 22Or visit the website

www.cansa.org.za Or e-mail info@cansa.org.za 13485

Happy retirement,Oom Mooi Dup!JH du Preez (Mooi Dup) began as

a learner train assistant in 1972 inTouws River. In 1974 he transferredto Germiston as a learner train assis-tant. In 1976 he went to the train

drivers’ college. He qualified as atrain driver in 1978 where he wastransferred to Braamfontein. It is herethat he retired after 40 years’ service.

Oom Mooi Dup always led by

example. He always spoke to all withrespect and never bad-mouthed any-one.

He deserves his rest

Dankie vir die opleiding

Dankie vir die opleiding wat ons ont-vang het. Ons het baie geleer en ons ken-nis opgeskerp. Ons is nou volleerd en opdatum. Ek wil ook vir John Pereiradankie sê. Hy het ? goeie klas aangebieden ons almal het baie geleer uit die tweedae. Hy was ? ster en mag maar opleid-ing gee. Nogmaals dankie aan bestuur viral die moeite om ons opleiding vanhoogstaande gehalte aan te bied. Ons saljulle nie teleurstel nie.

HA van der Hyde

I really enjoyed the TUR training andwill put what I learnt into practice.

John Short was really good at present-ing this training session and gave the classvalued information. It will help us tomove forward as TURs in Transnet tofight for our members’ rights.

I do, however, feel that two days weretoo short to cover in-depth training session.

I would like to thank the PresidentsMr Pholo and Mr Strauss for giving methe opportunity to attend the course.

Viva UTATU SARWHU VivaFrank Staunton

14 Labour Report Spring 2012

MEMBERSLETTERS

N a ’n lang tyd van stilte wil eknet sê ons is nog hier. Stilte

beteken glad nie dat ons tak niebetrokke of aktief is nie. Daar is sobaie verwikkelinge en gebeure datons behoorlik moet kop hou omalles te hanteer.

Ons lang treine (342 trokke) is nogsterk aan die beweeg met rekords van

weeklikse tonne maat wat verbeterword. Ons laaste rekord staan op 1222 000 ton in een week. Ons kykna 1 400 000 ton as ‘n nuwe rekord.

We still struggle with houses atSishen/Kathu.To rent a standard 3-bedroomed house will cost betweenR9 000 and R16 000 per month.Tobuy is R1.2 million and upwards for

a 3-bedroomed house with a singlebathroom and single garage, withwire fencing.

We would use the opportunity towish our new companions from theold SARWHU welcome and we lookforward to be working as one team.

PJF(Mossie) Mostert –Takvoorsitter

Hezekiel MulandaHezekiel Mulanda, who startedworking for Transnet on 19September 1978, retired as anArchive Assistant on 31 July 2012.Throughout his career, Hezekiel wasa dedicated and reliable worker whonever once booked off sick. Judgingby the farewell his colleaguesarranged for him, he was a popularcolleague who is going to be missed.

During his working years, Hezekiellived in Daveyton.To enjoy hisretirement, he plans to relocate toMakhado. Being an UTATU SAR-WHU member qualified him for apayout from the union’sDiscretionary Fund.The UTATUSARWHU family thanks Hezekielfor his steadfast membership andwish him health and contentmentthroughout his retirement.

William TshisaphungoFaith Modutwane, an organiser atUTATU SARWHU, hands over anUTATU SARWHU DiscretionaryFund cheque to WilliamTshisaphungo, who has retired fromthe Coach Cleaning Section atBraamfontein Shosholoza Meyl.“Wethank William for his loyal support toour union and wish him a long andhealthy retirement,” she said.

Sishen - Taknuusvan Sishen

Loyal members retire

Neels’s daughtermakes him proud

Neels Haasbroek, deputy general secretary, was very proud when hisdaughter, Rika, walked down the aisle with Leon Badenhorst on 7September.The ceremony took place at Vaverde Country Hotel inLanseria.Also on the photo is Rina, Neels’ wife and mother of the bride.

UTATU SARWHU honour thefollowing people who have passedaway recently:Bruce John EbdenBruce worked in Braamfontein andand served as a TUR. He passed awayon 7 September from a heart attack.His funeral was on 15 September.Faan GouwsFaan was one of the most loyal stal-warts of the union movement.

He started working as a firemanand was promoted to Braamfonteinas a passed assistant. Later he waspromoted to train driver: Electric,also in Braamfontein where he dili-gently served as branch secretary andchairman for many years. In 1992 hewas elected to the Exco of SAFSA,served on the ManagementCommittee and later was elected as2nd Vice President of SAFSA.Afterthat he was elected 2nd VicePresident of Utatu. Faan was instru-mental in the SAFSA/TWU merger.

Liam the Lion isat your service

Liam Mackay is a new appoint-ment in UTATU SARWHU’sMembership department since 1September. He says he is thrilled andhonoured to be part of the team andlooks forward to help members.

He is an upcoming Lions rugbyplayer who plays for the Lions’ ama-teur team and he is in the LionsSevens Training group.

Call Liam with any membershipqueries.

In memoriam

Nicolaas Johannes de Beer(Nico)Nico, a loyal TUR, was born on 28July 1962 and died on 8 September2012.29018

Labour Report Spring 2012 15

PRESIDENTGH Strauss

Tel: (011) 728 0120Fax: (011) 728 8257/58

Cell: 083 303 7346george@utatusarwhu.com

UTATU SARWHU EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

VICE-PRESIDENTJ de Jager

Tel: (w) (031) 361 4033Tel/Fax: (031) 903 2127

Cell: 082 920 5306tiekie@utatu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Central Zone MN MosolloaneCell: 076 286 6228

martha.mosolloane@transnet.net

Engineering Western Zone – TRES Mtushe

Cell: 073 894 8180Fritz.devries2@transnet.net

General Secretary andEditor

S HarrisCell: 082 566 5516

steve@utatusarwhu.com

Engineering Central Zone – TRE

JW ShortTel: (031) 361 6164Cell: 071 481 6975

John@utatusarwhu.com

Deputy General SecretaryL Brockett

Cell: 082 920 5301louis@utatusarwhu.com

Assistant General SecretaryJ Pereira

Cell: 079 501 6883johnp@utatusarwhu.com

MaritimeEastern ZoneWL Evans

Cell: 082 566 5518wyndham@utatusarwhu.com

Deputy General SecretaryE Dano

Cell: 071 589 5382eric@utatusarwhu.com

National OrganiserP Chonco

Cell: 082 920 5305maria@utatusarwhu.com

Maritime Western ZoneTA Wasserfall

Tel: (w) (021) 449 2148Fax: 086 631 0348Cell: 071 362 6219

trevor@utatusarwhu.com

Deputy General SecretaryE de Klerk

Cell: 082 567 6638eddie@utatusarwhu.com

National OrganiserM Moseki

Cell: 083 667 2300moseki@sarwhu.com

moses@utatusarwhu.com

Prasa Western ZoneBJ Davids

Tel: (w) (021) 449 5879Fax: (021) 449 2236Cell: 082 043 0515

brian@utatusarwhu.com

Deputy General SecretaryP Greyling

Cell: 083 281 3897pieter@utatusarwhu.com

Prasa Eastern ZoneRC Blom

Tel: (w) (031) 361 7741Fax: 086 543 7660Cell: 082 893 1224

rodney@utatusarwhu.com

Deputy General SecretaryN Haasbroek

Cell: 082 904 2215neels@utatusarwhu.com

Prasa Central ZoneAA Bester

Tel: (w) (011) 773 4790Fax: 086 513 2917Cell: 083 408 3460

bester@utatusarwhu.com

Deputy General SecretaryC Doncabe

Cell: 082 922 3960cosmas@utatusarwhu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Eastern ZoneTD Khumalo

Cell: 072 558 1460dan@utatusarwhu.com

Teboho.Khumalo@transnet.net

Rail Freight (TFR) Western Zone FJ Crause

Tel: (w) (041) 507 2705Fax: (041) 507 2968Cell: 082 920 5303

frans@utatusarwhu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Western Zone E Diteho

Tel: (053) 838 2083Cell: 073 734 6569

enock@utatusarwhu.comditeho@sarwhu.co.za

Rail Freight (TFR) Western Zone HWJ Smith

Tel: (w) (023) 348 4262, Fax: (023) 348 4260Cell: 071 363 3938

henk@utatusarwhu.com

Support ServicesDG Dreyer

Tel/Fax: (w) (011) 978 2737(h) (056) 213 1479Cell: 082 920 9450

douw@utatusarwhu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Western Zone S Stakala

Cell: 072 266 3037Cell: 076 286 6228

shaheed@utatusarwhu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Central Zone L Mdyogolo

Tel: (w) (011) 584 0574Fax: (011) 774 9909Cell: 071 363 6988

luvuyo@utatusarwhu.com

Engineering Central Zone – TREB Jonker

Tel:/Fax (w) (041) 994 2390Cell: 083 303 7347

ben@utatusarwhu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Central Zone FJ de Koker

Tel: (w) (011) 330 6061Fax: (011) 330 6920Cell: 082 046 6815

scott@utatusarwhu.com

Engineering Eastern Zone – TREEZ Cele

Tel: (w) (035) 906 7372Fax (035) 906 7015Cell: 082 567 6637zonke@utatu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Central Zone L Biljoen

Tel: (w) (031) 361 4318Fax: (086) 726 0711Cell: 082 852 9478

linda@utatusarwhu.com

Rail Freight (TFR) Eastern Zone JD Breytenbach

Tel: (w) (017) 801 2034Fax: (017) 801 2180Cell: 082 920 5302

jannie@utatusarwhu.com

PRESIDENTGMP Pholo

Tel: (053) 832 1500Fax: (053) 832 1501Cell: 082 738 2161

pholo@utatusarwhu.com

SECRETARIAT

NEWS NEWS16 Labour Report Spring 2012

The history of the SA locomotive in pictures

A s they say, once a trainenthusiast, always a trainenthusiast – and UTATU

SARWHU has many of them. Heredeputy general secretary, LouisBrockett, a former train driver and anardent rail buff, shares some of hismany photographs tracing the history

of the electric locomotive in SouthAfrica.

It started with the 1E and then the2Es which was followed by the 3E.

The ES was introduced next and thenfollowed the 4E (with pony bogies)

The 5E (‘balstamper’) had a betterversion in the 5E1

The 6E could operate air brakesThe 6E1 and 16E, 17E and its

upgrade 18E was manufactured byTransnet Rail Engineering

The 8E was a shunt loco The 9E – a 25 Kv works between

Sishen and SaldanhaThe 7E was out of sequence, but it

was the first to work with AlternateCurrent (AC)

Then followed the 7E1The 10E operated on 3 Kv DC at

100 km/h (add) and heavy haul trainsThe 11E was back on AC The 12E was upgraded from 6E1s

– they operated the first Metro Blitz,

now the Blue TrainThe 14E was a AC/DC automatic

and could travel at 120 km/h nowoperating the Blue Train

15E is currently running betweenSaldanha and Sishen on 25Kv

The newest loco is the 19E on theErmelo line �

14E ES 1E 6E1

6E 6E1 1E 6E1

10E1 11E 2E & 1E 6E1

9E 18E 5E 7E

7E 38 Diesel/Electric 16E 18E

15E ES 6E1 9E

12E 33 17E 18E

19E 38 AC/DC 34

3E 5E1 1E Metro Blitz

19951