Road freight strike by Satawu truckers looms
- Published on 28 Aug 2015
- HR Pulse News Desk
SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) says truck drivers are heading for a strike if an agreement with the trucking industry is not reached.
The union’s general secretary, Zenzo Mahlangu, indicated that the workers’ demands included a minimum salary of R6,000 a month. He went on to say: “We have been engaged in this process since June. Dispute meetings were held and parties further agreed to continue in an attempt to find a solution to the dispute. In terms of the protocol agreement, we were supposed to be on strike but we have continued to push for further meetings in order to delay issuing of a notice for industrial action.”
Employers are apparently offering increases of 6%, 5% and 5.5% over the next three years. Mahlangu expressed concern at the lack of transformation in the industry, with workers still being paid “slave wages”. With the latest stats from the sector indicating that the industry was still operating “apartheid” style, Mahlangu called for immediate transformation. The Road Freight Association declined to comment.
