Striking truck drivers were marching to the bargaining council for the trucking industry in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, to present a memorandum on Wednesday morning.
About 500 strikers — some armed with knobkieries — gathered at Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg before marching along Rissik Street to the bargaining council’s offices on De Korte Street.
They would join about 2 000 striking truck drivers already waiting outside the bargaining council to hand over a memorandum.
Each time a truck drove by, the strikers shouted protests. They were monitored by police in bullet-proof vests.
Earlier on Wednesday, South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) vice-president June Dube said: ”We have intensified our efforts. Today [Wednesday], we will march to the offices of the [national] bargaining council and stage picketing outside various companies.
”We are also going to make sure that protesters are more controlled to prevent yesterday’s [Tuesday’s] incident.”
Also on Wednesday, three trucks were damaged when a group of striking truck drivers pelted stones at them in the East Rand, police said.
Senior superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said she did not know exactly where on the East Rand the incident took place.
She said police were deployed around the city to monitor the strikers after Tuesday’s outbreak of violence.
On Tuesday, 30 000 truckers embarked on a national strike in all major cities that turned violent in Johannesburg when protesters clashed with police.
Nine people were injured and taken to hospital, and 29 truck drivers were arrested.
They will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday or Thursday to face charges of public violence, attempted murder, damage to property and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The strikers are demanding an 8,5% increase across the board and a 9% increase for those on the current minimum wage.
They are also demanding that the night-shift allowance be in line with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
The CEO of the Road Freight Employers’ Association (RFEA), Nico Badenhorst, has described the truckers’ demands as ”unachievable” and ”exceptionally high”.
”The RFEA is offering an above inflation 6,5% across-the-board increase and a 7% hike in minimum wages.”
He estimated that the strike is costing the economy more than R100-million a day.
But Satawu has vowed to continue with the strike until its demands have been met. This is despite the companies’ no-work-no-pay policy.
”We started off with 22 demands and went down to 16. We have been negotiating in good faith,” said Dube.
Other unions taking part are the Africa Miners and Allied Workers’ Union, Motor Transport Workers’ Union (South Africa), the Professional Transport Workers’ Union of South Africa and the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union, according to the RFEA. — Sapa