The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is set to declare a dispute with the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac), which it accuses of abdicating its duties, to force it to hold “rogue” employers accountable over their alleged refusal to abide by the council’s main collective agreement (MCA).
Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said it condemned the Tshwane Affected Operators Investments (TAOI), which manages the Bus Rapid Transport stations in Tshwane.
“It has flatly refused to pay the benefit of primary healthcare, which was secured in the last round of wage talks. The management is demanding that workers make submissions to it, on an individual basis, as to why they need to pay the primary healthcare cover. This is outrageous,” Hlubi-Majola said.
“Workers do not need to justify to employers why they must receive the benefit. The main collective agreement of the bus passenger sector is binding on all employers and therefore, they have a duty to pay.”
Sarpbac general secretary Gary Wilson said on Thursday: “I am not aware of any company that is not complying with the primary healthcare benefit. We have not received any complaints. But if there are companies that are noncompliant, obviously, the council will enforce [the benefit on them],” Wilson said.
In May, Numsa signed a two-year deal for increases of 5% and 6.5% with employers in the bus passenger sector, following months of talks with employer bodies, including the SA Bus Employers Association and the Commuters Bus Employers Organisation, at the Sarpbac. Its members include Putco, Bojanala Bus, Algoa Bus Company and Great North Transport.
“We have secured an across-the-board increase of 5% on the rate of pay, which will be implemented from April 1 2024 until March 31 2025. In the second year of the agreement, an increase of 6.5% on the base rate of pay will be implemented from April 1 2025 until March 31 2026,” Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said at the time.
Hlubi-Majola said TAOI is the only company in the sector “which is refusing to comply”. There were many other companies coercing workers into rejecting the primary health cover, she said.
“In terms of the wage agreement, the bosses must pay Affinity Reef, which is the primary healthcare cover for employees. Both the employer and employee must contribute R221 per month. Numsa condemns the employers in the bus passenger sector for refusing to comply. This is a benefit which is entitled to workers and we are not begging employers. They know they have a legal duty to implement,” Hlubi-Majola said.
“The agreement has been gazetted and extended since June this year; therefore, all bus companies that fall under the Sarpbac must implement this, so that workers can access healthcare benefit.
“Their refusal to pay means that workers have no medical aid cover. Numsa also condemns the bargaining council, the Sarpbac, for effectively abdicating its responsibilities. They have allowed companies to exempt themselves without the council independently adjudicating on exemption, in terms of the MCA,” she said.
Numsa had been fighting for a primary healthcare benefit for workers in the sector as they do not earn enough to afford private medical aid cover. “Numsa will be declaring a dispute to compel Sarpbac to depose of its obligation to hold these rogue companies accountable.”
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