Union+calls+for+disrespectful+Ramos+to+resign,+B+Rep



=Union calls for 'disrespectful' Ramos to resign=


 * Business Report, Johannesburg, February 2, 2006**


 * By Samantha Enslin**

Durban - The United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) has called for the resignation of Transnet chief executive Maria Ramos, saying her attitude to workers is arrogant and disrespectful.

Chris de Vos, Utatu's general secretary, told about 7 000 Transnet workers yesterday: "Workers in this country have changed the government. So why can't workers change the management?"

De Vos was speaking outside the Durban city hall to thousands of striking Transnet workers who had marched there to end the three-day strike in KwaZulu-Natal. He told Business Report: "We are calling for the resignation of Ramos.

"She has been staying in the background. We haven't seen her for 12 months. This is arrogant and disrespectful."

According to De Vos, previous Transnet chief executives met union representatives quarterly. Four unions participated in the strike, which is in response to Transnet's restructuring plans and what the unions consider a flawed negotiating process on these plans.

Gaynor Kast, a spokesperson for the department of public enterprises, to which Transnet reports, said: "We are not prepared to consider this [Ramos's resignation] at all."

The department supported her handling of labour relations and it was incorrect to say she had failed to meet with labour in the past year. John Dludlu, the spokesperson for Transnet, said Ramos and the Transnet executive committee had met with labour.

"Different members of the committee have various responsibilities. Therefore, it follows that in the normal course of events, some members of this team would meet more regularly with certain stakeholders, including labour, more than others," Dludlu said.

Randall Howard, the general secretary of the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union, said the four unions participating in the strike had never discussed calling for the resignation of Ramos.

"I have raised it with her informally that she has to be more visible ... But that does not mean she is not giving direction behind the scenes. Labour did not raise this issue at the time that we should have," he said.

Despite her alleged lack of visibility, Ramos has already made her mark at Transnet. In the year to March 2005, Transnet reported a net profit of R6.8 billion, compared with a R6.3 billion previous loss.

The R40 billion investment programme in ports, rail and pipelines is already beginning to yield results. For example, efficiency at the Durban container terminal has significantly improved.

Dave Rennie, the chairman of the Container Liners Operators' Forum, said yesterday that before the strike "things at the container terminal were fluid, with delays [to berth] of only 10 hours".

However, as a result of the strike it could be weeks before the terminal is operating at these levels again. Although staff are due back at work today, there will be a backlog.

Rennie said: "There are likely to be delays of four days and we expect these delays for some weeks."

Yesterday the four unions handed a memorandum to Tau Morwe, the chief executive of SA Port Operations, who accepted it on behalf of Transnet's top management. Further industrial action, which is planned for later this month, depends on Transnet's response.


 * From: http://busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3093192**

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