The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will intervene in the truck drivers’ strike, the Road Freight Employers’ Association (RFEA) said on Friday.
”… the CCMA has contacted the RFEA and the five unions involved about a meeting this afternoon [Friday] following a deadlock in negotiations yesterday afternoon,” said Nico Badenhorst, chief executive of the RFEA.
If the meeting was confirmed the RFEA would attend, he said.
”Meanwhile, the strike action has been quieter than the past three days that were marred by incidents of violence,” Badenhorst said.
There were some incidents, however, with striking truck drivers throwing stones and smashing truck windows in Johannesburg on Friday morning.
”Striking truck drivers are damaging passing trucks along Smith Street, De Korte Street and Wolmarans Streets in Braamfontein,” Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said.
He warned non-striking truck drivers to avoid the Braamfontein area, as the truck drivers’ strike entered its fourth day.
Cars were not being damaged, Minnaar said.
Meanwhile, around 30 000 truck drivers were on strike around the country, with demonstrations planned for the major cities.
The past week has seen widespread protests, including violent action, by truckers pressing for better pay.
They are demanding a 10% increase in minimum wages and a nine percent pay rise across the board.
The RFEA was offering a seven percent raise on basic salaries and an additional allowance of 2,33% for 12 months.
This was an improvement on its initial offer of 6,5%. SA Transport and Allied Workers Union Vice President June Dube accused the RFEA on Friday of not showing enough commitment to ending the three-day strike.
”We started off with 22 demands and went down to six, but there has not really been any tangible progress,” said Dube.
The RFEA said late on Thursday it might seek a court interdict against unions if striking truck drivers continued ”their unruly behaviour”.
On Tuesday, 29 truckers were arrested in the Johannesburg city centre after violent clashes with the police. Nine people were injured and taken to hospital.
The strike was reportedly costing the economy about R100-million a day. – Sapa