https://www.miningweekly.com

Miners’ losses mount as ports strike drags on in South Africa

17th October 2022

By: Bloomberg

  

Font size: - +

A strike at South Africa’s port and rail operator Transnet that’s cost bulk mineral exporters as much as R9.8-billion continued for a twelfth day, with the company and labour unions struggling agree on wage increases.

The walkout by workers that began October 6 cost shippers of iron-ore, coal, chrome, ferrochrome and manganese about R815-million a day because they’re unable to rail and load the exports onto ships, according to the Minerals Council South Africa.

“There is limited export from harbors” and rail movements are severely constrained, Allan Seccombe, a spokesperson for the lobby group, said Monday in a response to questions.

Negotiations to reach a pay deal have been unsuccessful, even after the government and an arbitration body joined the discussions between Transnet and its biggest labor unions. The virtual shutdown of South Africa’s monopolistic logistics company has taken a broad toll on not only mining and agricultural exports, but service businesses and others involved in supply chains.

“Parties are still engaging,” Transnet spokesperson Ayanda Shezi said in a reply to questions.

“Members are still on strike,” Amanda Tshemese, a spokesperson for the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, said by phone.

Edited by Bloomberg

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

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?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION