Thanks to a court interdict obtained by Transnet yesterday, strike action at South Africa’s ports has been averted.
“Transnet has managed to stop the strike action planned by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) following a 48-hour notice for marine personnel to embark on strike action on Wednesday 29 May,” according to a statement released yesterday.
At the heart of the dispute is a claim by the union of an unfair salary discrepancy between black and white marine personnel at Transnet Ports Authority (TNPA).
These include marine pilots, tug masters and chief marine engineering officers who are responsible for a large part of operations in the port system.
“TNPA remains committed in further engaging with Satawu towards a resolution,” said acting chief executive at TNPA Nozipho Mdawe.
“We would like to assure our customers and stakeholders of our commitment to provide a seamless service to the industry. TNPA management will be closely monitoring port operations and will try to prevent any potential disruptions to shipping movements.”
