Operations at the majority of state-held Transnet divisions were proceeding normally, company spokesperson John Dludlu said in a statement as the strike in KwaZulu-Natal entered its second day on Tuesday.
Barring the Durban Container Terminal, Richards Bay port and Metrorail in “a few areas”, operations were running at 100%, he added. His assessment is in sharp contrast with the four trade unions’ report that claimed the strike was having a serious impact on Transnet rail and ports operations.
According to the unions, the strike by more than 15Â 000 workers had severely affected operations.
Transnet is locked in a dispute over its restructuring plans with the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union, United Transport and Allied Trade Union, United Association of South Africa and the South African Railway and Harbours Union.
According to Dludlu, Richards Bay was operating at 80% capacity with the Durban car terminal at 100%.
The strike in KwaZulu-Natal ends on Wednesday with a march, while the Free State had a one-day strike on Monday. Transnet employees in the Eastern Cape will embark on industrial action on February 13, followed by the Northern and Western Cape on February 14, with workers in the remaining inland provinces — including Gauteng — set for a strike on February 20.
Should the dispute not be resolved, the four unions will recommend a national strike on March 6.
According to Transnet management, the restructuring does not entail retrenchments and it will not affect benefits — but the unions on the other hand are accusing the parastatal of seeking to implement the plan without sufficient consultation.
“The restructuring is part of our four-point turnaround strategy aimed at improving Transnet’s efficiency and its ability to invest in new infrastructure and in upgrades of old and existing infrastructure,” Dludlu said.
“The strategy is driven by government’s mandate that the company should contribute to growth by reducing the cost of doing business in the country. At present levels, South Africa’s logistics and transport-related costs of doing business are a constraint to growth.”
The parties have both pledged to find a speedy resolution and have acknowledged the adverse impact the strike has had on customers and the economy.
Transnet is led by Maria Ramos and has 85Â 000 employees across its divisions such as the commuter rail entity Metrorail; the national carrier South African Airways; Spoornet, which transports freight and containers by rail; the National Ports Authority; and Transtel, which owns a 15% stake in Telkom’s rival — the yet-to-be-operational second national operator. — I-Net Bridge