The strike by transport workers will continue indefinitely even though their union and employers have agreed on wage hikes, the Road Freight Employers’ Association said on Wednesday.
“We’ve managed to agree on all the monetary issues,” said RFEA labour relations manager Magretia Brown.
This included an 11% across the board increase for all employees in the unit covered by the bargaining council, and the addressing of the wage gap on the minimums.
Brown said the reason there was no formal agreement yet was the insistence by the South African Transport Workers’ Union (Satawu) that the increases apply to people outside the bargaining unit.
She said that although Satawu claimed to represent these people, it could not prove that they were members of the union.
“The strike will continue indefinitely,” she said, adding that at this point, no arrangements had been made for any further meetings between the RFEA and Satawu.
Satawu’s 20 000 members in the sector went on strike on Tuesday. Other unions represented are the Motor Transport Workers’ Union, the Professional Transport Workers’ Union, and the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union of South Africa.
They have not issued strike notices.
They have indicated they do not support the strike and will advise their members not to participate.