As Transnet and the shipping industry heaved a collective sigh of relief following the agreement reached between Transnet and the United National Transport Union yesterday, a lot of damage has already been done.
The Western Cape government yesterday warned that more than 12 000 jobs in the berry industry in the region, which include 4 000 permanent jobs and 8 000 seasonal jobs, were on the line if the strike wasn’t urgently resolved.
Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, said that as of yesterday (October 17), the same three container vessels had been at berth since the start of the strike on October 6. The turnaround time, including waiting time to berth, was normally four days. “A further four container vessels are waiting to berth. Even more worrying is the fact that at least four vessels have omitted the Port of Cape Town completely since the beginning of the strike.”
Berries ZA said with the citrus export season having ended, and the stone fruit season due to start in earnest in November, this was a key time for berry exports, specifically blueberries.
“The labour dispute is a significant risk for the berry industry as it undermines the considerable growth it has experienced over the last few years, which has seen 33% growth in the area used to produce berries in the Western Cape. Given the labour-intensive nature of the berry industry, it is an essential contributor to job creation in the agriculture sector,” said agriculture minister Dr Ivan Meyer.
