Freight and rail operator Transnet said on Thursday that workers had begun an open-ended strike at the site over a pay dispute with two major unions, a move that could affect key exports, including minerals.
A Transnet freight train is seen next to tons of coal at the nearby Kanye Colliery mine, Bronhorstspruit Station, Bronhorstspruit, 90 km northeast of Johannesburg, South Africa, April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
The strike will paralyze freight train services and affect ports in Africa’s largest economy.
State-owned Transnet has been operating below capacity due to a shortage of locomotives, poor maintenance and vandalism and theft of infrastructure.
The United National Transport Union (UNTU), which represents the majority of Transnet workers, and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAU) have rejected Transnet’s 3-4 per cent pay rise cuts, saying they are below South Africa’s annual rate of inflation. It was 7.6 percent in August.
Transnet said the strike was illegal, saying the unions did not follow the rules set out in the Labor and Employment Act. UNTU and Satawu said Transnet’s lawyers wrote to them on October 3 that their industrial action was illegal because some workers were providing essential services and were prohibited from striking.
Transnet also questioned the union’s voting process, which saw members approve strike action. In addition, as required by the labor law, the company and the striking workers have not agreed on any recruitment guidelines, the unions said.
UNTU and Satawu have given the required 48-hour strike notice and denied Transnet’s allegations that they were violating election laws.
Transnet did not respond to a request for comment.
UNTU, the largest union in Transnet, confirmed on Thursday morning that its members had started a strike, while Satau said it would join the strike from Monday.
“This will have a significant impact on economic activity in all sectors, and (Transnet) urges employees to consider the long-term consequences for themselves, their colleagues, their families and the South African economy as a whole,” Transnet said. In the description.
UNU General Secretary Kobes van Vuuren accused Transnet of trying to intimidate workers by calling the strike illegal.
“This is another attempt by Transnet to deploy scare tactics to prevent the strike and delay the process,” he said.
All parties agree to mediate at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), a government agency. In the year The unions said further talks, which start on October 12, will not affect strike plans.
