Transnet strike ends as smaller union calls off boycott
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) has called off its strike at Transnet, ending a boycott that paralysed the state-owned logsitics firm and impacted commodities exports from Africa's most advanced economy.
"We have called off the strike and our members are going back to work tomorrow," Satawu spokesperson Amanda Tshemese told Reuters on Wednesday.
Satawu had called a three-year wage deal agreed on Monday by Transnet and the majority United National Transport Union (UNTU) a "betrayal" and vowed to continue with a strike which started on Oct. 6 following a dispute over pay increases.
The unions were demanding wage increases linked to South Africa's year-on-year inflation rate, which was 7.5% in September, but UNTU and Transnet settled on a 6% increase for this year, 5.5% in 2023 and 6% the year after, following mediation.
UNTU's members, who make up 54% of Transnet's workforce, started returning to work on Tuesday, allowing the company to start implementing recovery plans across its freight rail and port operations.
Fresh produce exporters who, along with miners, were among the most affected by the strike, said port operations had started to improve on Wednesday.
"Staffing levels across all the main container terminals have increased today, upwards of 80% and in some cases fully manned. The trend indicates that staff compliments could be fully manned very soon," the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa said in an update posted on its website.
Last week, the Minerals Council of South Africa said mining companies were losing 815 million rand ($44.62 million) per day in export revenue due to the strike, as major mineral export harbours were operating at between 12% and 30% of their daily averages due to the strike.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Yale Lifting Solutions is a leading supplier of lifting and material handling equipment in Southern Africa. Yale offers a wide range of quality...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
