Strike would impact non-union members too

The truck drivers’ strike – due for
February 13 – would have a drastic
impact on the SA trucking industry,
according to Paul Rayner, MD of
container carriers, DTB Cartage.
It’s not purely the strike, he told
FTW, but the intimidation and
violence that accompanies it that is
the main threat.
According to figures from
the Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association (DHCA) – a KwaZulu
Natal section of the SA Association
of Freight Forwarders (Saaff)
– if a strike was called for by the
membership of the four unions
which represent the industry, it
would involve only 51% of the total
drivers’ pool in SA.
“The problem is that, although it
would only involve union members
directly, the strike would indirectly
hit non-union members, private
truckers and owner/operators,” said
Rayner.
He looked back at last year’s
Transnet strike – which absolutely
paralysed the SA freight industry
– and pointed to “a couple of
incidents” which involved drivers at
his company.
“The threats of intimidation
and violence only affected two
of our drivers, but was enough to
force our other drivers to also stop
work.”
The official words from the
DHCA, expressed by Kevin
Martin, chairman of the association
and MD of container trucker,
Freightliner Transport, were:
“We’re looking for a resolution
rather than a confrontation.”