In an apparent move to avert a strike by organised labour over the restructuring of South Africa’s ports, the government has requested an urgent meeting with the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), to discuss concessioning.
Last week thousands of Satawu members staged demonstrations in a bid to force the government into meaningful consultation with unions on restructuring harbours.
In terms of the Labour Relations Act restructuring proposals should be tabled in accordance with the National Framework Agreement (NFA), which requires all key stakeholders to be full participants in formulating a policy. But Satawu says the government did not consult on the ports policy, which committed it to the concessioning of ports operations.
Lucky Montana, chief director in the Ministry of Public Enterprises, this week confirmed that the government has proposed a meeting for May 12 with the transport sector to discuss issues that include ports reform. He said Satawu’s concerns were genuine, but it was up to the union to raise them within the NFA.
”We don’t see the need for strike action while discussions on ports restructuring are still unfolding. It will be very premature for Satawu to go on a strike at this stage.”
While Satawu welcomed the meeting, it said the issue was whether the government was prepared to discuss options other than concessioning. ”The outcome depends on the flexibility of discussing all options,” said Jane Barret, Satawu’s policy research officer.
Barret said the government had still not come to the party under the National Economic Development and Labour Council structures, where there is a parallel dispute about the port policy as a whole.
Satawu said it would use mass industrial action as a last resort to fight the government’s restructuring process.
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