The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) has demanded the opening of toll plazas in KwaZulu-Natal during the industrial action by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union members, arguing that any traffic delays would impact the movement of goods.
Toll collectors affiliated to the union embarked on a strike at the weekend, demanding wage increases.
Sacci CEO Neren Rau said: ” … Sacci is concerned at the impact that the strike action at toll plazas has on the movement of goods and persons on South African roads. The greater proportion of South African goods is transported by road. Unwarranted traffic delays have the potential to impact negatively particularly on exports as deadlines for loading cargoes onto ships at ports could be missed.”
Satawu national spokesperson Mamokgethi Molopyane said about 100 to 150 workers at the Oribi (Port Shepstone), Marrianhill, Mooi River and Tugela Plazas in the province downed tools on Saturday, demanding salary ranges of between R2 500 to R3 500, from the current R1 500 to R1 800.
“Sacci regards it as unacceptable that a labour union initiates an illegal strike when existing regulations provide extensive protection for industrial action. Engaging in an unprotected strike corrodes the respect for law to the detriment of the whole of South Africa. The South African business community is committed to complying with labour legislation. It is therefore a relatively small request that labour unions follow due process if they want to organise industrial action,” Rau said in a statement. — I-Net Bridge