As this issue went to press
on Monday morning, the
Road Freight Employers’
Association (RFEA) and
Unions had failed to resolve
the dispute with striking
workers after talks on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
deadlocked.
The Unions are still
demanding double digit
figures – this amidst a strike
that has already cost the
industry significantly.
“As much as the RFEA
wishes to resolve this dispute,
we must also be cautious
not to agree to an increase
that is not sustainable,”
said executive officer of the
RFEA, Magretia Brown-
Engelbrecht.
A further meeting of
the RFEA and unions was
scheduled for Wednesday
(October 3).
Three Cash-In-Transit
member companies have
signed an agreement with the
Motor Transport Workers’
Union (MTWU) members.
The RFEA however stressed
this agreement was not
sanctioned by them or any of
the unions, while the MTWU
general secretary was also
distancing himself from the
agreement.
The RFEA believes
that the conduct of these
companies undermines
the road freight collective
bargaining forum and has
opposed their conduct.
“Whatever settlement is
eventually reached will also
apply to CIT, since it will
be the only agreement that
will be enforceable once
promulgated and extended by
the Minister of Labour,” said
Brown-Engelbrecht.
And as the countrywide
strike by thousands of truck
drivers entered its second
week, there was concern over
the impact on deliveries of
food, fuel and steel.
Some petrol tank
drivers have joined the
strike, according to
transport union South
African Transport
and Allied Workers’
Union (Satawu). The
SA Petroleum Industry
Association warned that
there could be some
delays to fuel deliveries if
the strike continued.
Steel producers have
also said that deliveries to
customers could be affected
if a resolution is not found
soon.
“For the moment, I don’t
see the strike hitting our
deliveries to customers,”
a spokesman for South
Africa’s largest steelmaker,
ArcelorMittal South
Africa, said. “People would
be consuming from their
stocks. But if the strike
continues, Amsa will need
to look at how to get stock
out to merchants.”
If there are delays in
steel deliveries and stocks
at end users run low, it
could delay construction
projects and adversely
affect industries like the
automotive sector.
Because trucks deliver
food to stores and fuel
to service stations, the
national strike of truck
drivers could bring the
South African economy to
a standstill.
Workers are demanding
a 12% pay rise. The RFEA
has made a revised offer of
8.5%, but the union has not
agreed to this revised offer.
The strike, which started
on September 25, escalated
into violence in the Western
Cape, parts of Gauteng where
truck drivers were blocking
roads, as well as in Durban.
CAPTION
Escalation of violence ... angry strikers set fire to a truck.
