The South African fruit industry appealed to the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) not to involve railway and port workers in the on-going freight industry strike.
“Around 460 000 people are employed full-time in the fruit industry and two million people are dependent on their income,” Fruit SA chairman Justin Chadwick said in an open letter.
The industry was the worst affected by the Transnet strike of 2010, when R150 million was lost.
“The fruit industry’s supply chains were severely disrupted and in some cases export contracts were permanently lost.”
While the fruit industry acknowledged the right to strike, it asked that the livelihoods of workers in other industries be considered.
“Reliable transport services for perishable products are vitally important for the fruit industry and the economy in general, and when they come to a halt, both the sector and the economy suffer,” said Chadwick.
The strike, which began on September 24, has been marked by violence and intimidation, although Satawu has blamed this on criminals who want to tarnish its reputation.
Federation of Unions of SA general secretary Dennis George said three trade unions – excluding Satawu, which is the largest — had agreed to adjust their pay demand in an attempt to end the protracted strike.
George said it was decided to facilitate a meeting of the three smaller unions after talks between unions and employers broke down on Tuesday.
He said the unions agreed they wanted a two-year rather than a three-year agreement because of the unpredictability of financial conditions and inflation.
“We are hopeful that these constructive proposals will facilitate a break in the deadlock and take us forward.”
Satawu, which represents about 28 000 workers in the strike, was not included in the unions’ new agreement.
Source: Times Live