By Dwight Sekgoro
Amidst the continued struggle between Transnet and the companies workers regarding wage offer of 4.5% increase, which the workers have refused. As the workers demand a wage increase of 7.6% to deal with the inflation rate that they have incurred since August this year. Transnet refuses to give this wage increase as it feels that currently the wage of the workers make up 66% percent of its total expenses.
This has resulted in more than 40 000 workers downing tools. The cost of this strike is estimated at R 800 million in export revenues per day by mining companies. The strike is also affecting the agriculture business sector that is heavily reliant on exporting their produce to other parts of the world.
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) has rejected the latest offer from Transnet and will continue to strike. United National Transport Union (UNTU) share the same sentiments as SATAWU and said the following pertaining to the offer given by Transnet; “We have indicated to Transnet that they are not being responsible and reasonable,” the secretary of the union Mr. Cobus Van Vuuren told Reuters.
Right now there seems to be a test of resolves between the government owned company and its workers and who will give in to the others demands. The private companies being affected by this are not happy and want government to amend the law so that Transnet workers are not able to strike in the future should they wish to. Only time will tell as to who wins this battle between the two forces.