South African Transport Workers’ Union (Satawu) spokesperson Abner Ramakgolo announced on Tuesday that following an agreement reached with employers, truck drivers have ended their strike and will resume work on Wednesday.
The strike action that started on February 26 saw more than 30 000 truck drivers striking as a result of a snag in wage negotiations.
Following a compromise reached on Monday evening, the employers — represented by the Road Freight Employers’ Association (RFEA) — and the four unions will sign a formal agreement that will see truck drivers’ wages rising by 7% across the board while those earning a minimum wage will have their salaries increased by 7,5%.
Ramakgolo said there were other clauses in the agreement and some had to do with allowances in respect of compensation.
The strike was a “no-work, no-pay” industrial action which meant that truck drivers lost millions of rand in earnings.
Originally, the unions were demanding a 9% increase across the board and a 10% increment for those earning a minimum wage, while RFEA offered a 6,5% increment across the board and a 7% hike for those earning a minimum wage. – I-Net Bridge