Striking Transnet workers have brought chaos to South Africa’s major ports as vessels fail to load exports and unload imports from the country’s harbours into inland ports for nationwide distribution, APA learnt on Wednesday.
Now in its fifth day, the industrial action has seen the striking workers and the state owned-rail and ports company fail to reach a compromise over their wages, with the unions rejecting the latest offer of between 4 and 5% that Transnet had offered them.
Unions representing the workers are the United National Transport Union (Untu) and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) – who have not accepted the new wage increased offer of between 4 to 5 percent.
The company has also called on the striking workers, who are demanding a double-digit wage offer, not to damage or interfere with Transnet infrastructure during the protest.
Transnet has told clients that that all landside operations at ports have been suspended amid a worsening backlog at the ports as wage talks to end the crippling strike at Transnet continued.
Both sides, however, have accepted the intervention of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), and on Wednesday were expected to return to the table to follow up on their protracted wage negotiations which ended in a deadlock on Monday.
At the CCMA mediated talks, the meeting “ended with the parties agreeing and signing the picketing rules and picketing sites” for the current strike, according to Transnet.
“Transnet is hopeful that the unions will formally table their position to enable the company to assess its feasibility, taking into account affordability and sustainability imperatives for the business — balanced with the needs of employees,” the company said.
It added: “Transnet remains committed to a speedy resolution to the current impasse to enable the business to focus its attention on the sustainable turnaround and improvement of operations.”
NM/as/APA