KZN braces for port shut down as Transnet workers prepare to strike

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) threatens to shut down port operations countrywide if the salary structure for all races groups were not equal. Picture Satawu-Facebook.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) threatens to shut down port operations countrywide if the salary structure for all races groups were not equal. Picture Satawu-Facebook.

Published May 29, 2019

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Durban - Operations at ports around the country are expected to be shut down, on Thursday after the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) gave notice to Transnet to strike over of unfair salaries. 

The Durban port which is one of the busiest in the country, will also be brought to standstill unless a wage settlement is met by Wednesday afternoon. 

Workers who will be striking include pilots who bring the ships from the ocean into the port and vice versa; tug masters who assist pilots move the ships and chief marine engineers who maintain the ships and operate the engines.

Zanele Sabela, Satawu spokesperson said there are salary discrepancies between black and white mariners. 

Sabela said negotiations between the union and the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) collapsed. 

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)provides port infrastructure and marine services at the eight commercial seaports in South Africa – Richards Bay, Durban, Saldanha, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Mossel Bay and Ngqura.  

“Following the granting of the strike certificate, TNPA called on Satawu to put off the industrial action, saying it wanted to negotiate. The parties held two robust meetings but could not reach a satisfactory agreement despite the company admitting to pay discrepancies across all divisions," Sabela said.

She admits that if the strike goes ahead it would have a devastating impact on the economy as the ports authority controls and operates all eight commercial seaports along the country’s coastline.

"Black staffers were being paid lower wages than their white counterparts and the state-owned company had failed to address the anomaly despite acknowledging its existence,"Sabela said. 

She said Satawu then requested that a neutral third party be commissioned to conduct an investigation and make recommendations on how the matter should be resolved but management declined the request.

"The mariners move three ships per two-hour interval. These vessels ferry goods worth millions of rand bringing the potential loss due to the strike action to billions of rand,” said Sabela.

SATAWU served the strike notice to TNPA on Monday morning after the Transnet Bargaining Council issued the certificate in April. 

Nozipho Mdawe, Acting Chief Executive TNPA, said Satawu has issued them  with a 48-hour notice for TNPA Mariners to embark on a protected strike action on Wednesday from 17h30. 

Mdawe said this is the result of an unresolved dispute of mutual interest that exists between TNPA Mariners who are members of SATAWU and TNPA. 

Mdawe said participants will included SATAWU-affiliated Marine Pilots, Tug Masters and Chief Marine Engineering Officers.

“We have assessed the impact of the strike action and have activated contingency measures though our Business Continuity Plans.   We will continuously update our customers and directly engage with them on shipping matters to ensure minimum disruption to port operations,” Mdawe said. 

Daily News

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