Productivity at the ports has been slow over the past week and the shut-down is expected to have a major impact on the freight industry in South Africa. Malcolm Sodalay, regional chairman of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders says that the strike is illegal. The association is in talks with the representative unions.
Apparently the strike was caused by rumours that Transnet had unilaterally made changes to the staff incentive schemes. Several ships have been left standing idle at Pier One.
Transnet and the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union blamed the problem on a "temporary suspension of activities due to operational issues within the terminal."
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