Durban | Friday
OPERATIONS at two of South Africa’s ports came to a virtual standstill on Thursday as thousands of workers downed tools over payment of performance bonuses and upgrade reviews.
Some 4 000 members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) are participating in the strike in the east coast port city of Durban and in Cape Town.
Steven Matlou, a Durban port representative, said workers want to be paid incentive bonuses and are also unhappy over delays in job grading.
The strike had severely affected port operations in Durban, although not everything had come to a standstill, Matlou said.
Satawu Western Cape secretary Nicholas Maziya said port operations in Cape Town had been seriously affected by the strike, and that a backlog of goods was already building up.
He said Satawu staged a 100% stayaway in Cape Town.
The union has 120 000 members countrywide, of whom some 15 000 work at ports around the country.
The strike could have severe effects on the deciduous fruit industry, which has expressed concern that it could have a negative impact on its access to European markets before Christmas. – AFP