Economy's supply lines threatened by truckers' strike

Fuel, medical and food supplies are under pressure as contingency measures, such as temporary labourers and reserve fleets, are used nationwide.

The South African Petroleum Industry Association asked the public to refrain from panic buying, saying it could handle demand for the week if buying patterns remained normal.

Workers in the industry have been on strike, demanding a 12% pay hike. The Road Freight Employers Association has been offering 6%.

The unions on strike include the Transport and Allied Workers Union, the Motor Transport Workers Union, the Professional Transport and Allied Workers Union of South Africa, and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu).

Association distances itself from agreement

Some respite was promised with a separate wage deal being placed on the table for cash-in-transit workers. Consumers would have been able to withdraw money under reliable circumstances and buying decisions would not be affected. But the Road Freight Employers Association distanced itself from this agreement.

"The three cash-in-transit member companies last night signed an agreement with the Motor Transport Workers Union members. This agreement was not sanctioned by the (association) or any of the unions," said the association's spokesman, Magretia Brown-Engelbrecht.

"The Motor Transport Workers Union general secretary has also distanced himself from this agreement. The agreement therefore constitutes a plant-level agreement between the companies and those union members," she added

Brown-Engelbrecht said the firms' conduct undermined the road freight collective bargaining forum. "The effect is that whatever settlement is eventually reached will also apply to cash-in-transit, since it will be the only agreement that will be enforceable once promulgated by the labour minister."

Marred by violence

The National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry also said the agreement should not be recognised.

"The parties do not recognise this so-called agreement," spokesman Karen Daniels said in a statement.

Russel Berman, a sales director at Spark ATM Systems, said on Friday last week he was concerned the strike would place "tremendous pressure" on banks, which had to refill automated teller machines often.

Overall, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which often needed more cash to run their businesses, would suffer. "The strike threatens the SMEs, which have different business challenges and are supposed to grow employment ," he said.

The strike has been marred by violence with strikers beating up workers who chose not to down tools and burning numerous trucks.

The association was granted an interdict by the Labour Court in Johannesburg last week ordering strikers to refrain from acts of violence and intimidation.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and various labour analysts have called on anyone affected by strike violence to sue the unions.
"The unions use double-speak. They send out press releases that condemn violence but on the ground they encourage aggressive marches," DA shadow labour minister Ian Ollis said.

Satawu spokesman Vincent Masoga last week blamed the violence on criminals : "Those who seek to destroy our progressive image and are hell-bent on criminal and thuggish behaviour continue to opportunistically hijack our cause to further their malicious practices."

Source: Business Day via I-Net Bridge