INCOMING CARGO is flowing more freely at present at Johannesburg International Airport despite the fact that the work-to-the-rule order remains among National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) members.
But the members of the union who are employed in the numbering office, where delays of up to five days were being experienced, are away at present attending a training course.
In their place three other customs workers are undertaking the task of numbering documents and the backlog has diminished to delays no longer than 36 hours at the most.
We are trying to clear the backlog daily and it is reducing despite the ever increasing colume of work, says customs assistant director Carel van Rensburg.
We had to make alternative plans when the regular members of the numbering office went on the course which had been planned for them previously. So we brought in three other people to help and they have managed to handle matters quite well.
In fact, we hit a record of 12 500 entries this week, and more are pouring in. But we managed to get through a great deal of the backlog during the weekend after the initial pile up and two more cashier points have also been introduced. Piet Louw, import operations manager for Renfreight, one of the most affected by the go-slow operations of the previous week, was a far happier man when FTW called on him this week.
Things are going much better, he said. The three people drafted in to help in the numbering room are coping well and we are moving into gear again. Delay time has come down rapidly.
