Cape Town - Now that the crippling Transnet strike has been resolved, the difficult task of reducing the backlog caused by the 12-day industrial action should begin in earnest.
Early last week, the majority union – the United National Transport Union (Untu) – accepted a 6% wage increase.
The union was followed by a reluctant SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) that accused its counterparts of “selling them out” after they had attempted to hold out for a double-digit settlement.
The end of the strike came as a huge sigh of relief for the government and the business sector, particularly those who are involved in the transportation of goods.
According to industry experts, the strike prevented the transportation of an estimated R65.3 billion worth of goods.
It is estimated that while operations at Transnet are said to have resumed almost immediately last week, a complete return to normality may only happen in 2023.
This means that the government, labour unions and workers need to put their differences aside and focus on rebuilding our destroyed international image. It is clear that as a result of the strike, neighbouring harbours such as Mozambique and Namibia have benefited.
A distinct possibility, therefore, exists that the lost business may never return, due to the inefficient ports and an environment prone to industrial action.
A concerted effort must be made to ensure that the business lost during the strike returns to our shores.
The Durban harbour struggles with efficiently handling cargo, and this often leads to huge backlogs of trucks trying to get out of the port.
During this strike ships were unable to access the port, and the backlog grew.
Now that the strike has ended, the real work begins.
Transnet management needs to take the country into its confidence by providing a detailed plan to reduce the backlog.
Failure to do this would mean that the strike has done incalculable damage to our economy that would take years to repair.
Cape Times