Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has extended the Section 189 notice period for retrenchments at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to the end of August 2026, giving a Ministerial Task Team more time to find alternatives for 227 employees.
Of the 580 employees affected, 43 have accepted early retirement packages and 102 have been matched and placed in vacancies across PRASA divisions and departments.
A further 208 Protection Services employees have been ring-fenced pending the conclusion of engagements with Transnet on the transfer of stations and related assets. The Department of Transport said a formal notice for the transfer of assets had been issued and that the parties were working to conclude the process.
The Task Team was appointed on 2 June 2026 and comprises representatives of the Department of Transport, organised labour and PRASA management.
PRASA began a consultation process under Sections 189 and 189A of the Labour Relations Act in November 2025, after a business decision to address excess staffing levels in its Long-Distance Passenger Services. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration facilitated the process, which included formal engagements with the United National Transport Union and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union.
