Concerns over strike impact on freight industry

If the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) national strike for higher pay does take place in July, as union leaders say is “inevitable”, then the freight and associated industries could be badly hit. Not because of the number of Numsa members on its floors – which tends to be small in comparison with the transport unions Satawu and Utatu Sarwhu - but because the union members tend towards violence and intimidation, and have a habit of calling for other workers to go on sympathy strikes. The overall threat, however, is a numbers game. Numsa is the country’s biggest single trade union with more than 338 000 members. And its muscle was seen last September when two consecutive strikes effectively shut down the SA vehicle manufacturing industry for six weeks – and where the length of the strike and the lost production further dented SA’s image as an investment destination. That was a three-week strike by Numsa car workers, followed immediately by a strike by thousands of union members who work as petrol attendants, and at components retailers, panel-beaters, car and spare parts dealers, fitment workshops and dealerships. The most recent indicator of Numsa members’ tactics is the now six-week strike at the container terminal at the Port of Ngqura. Reports from that strike revealed a spate of bombings, arson and thuggery targeted at Transnet employees who chose not to join the union’s industrial action. And union representation at Ngqura was called into question. Although Numsa proudly boasted that 500 of the 600 workers at the terminal were members, Transnet has said Numsa only has 124 members on the terminal staff. Indeed, Transnet added, Numsa represents less than half a percent of its 60 000-strong workforce nationally. But this strike, along with a separate strike by 723 Numsa members at Continental Tyre where violence also occurred, raised a serious threat against the Nelson Mandela Bay area’s critical automotive industry, which relies heavily on imports and exports. And, if a national strike comes off in July, the impact would be widespread and severe, regardless of numbers of union members. An indicator of this impact came from Numsa’s own release on its intended strike. According to the union, the following key sectors will be heavily affected: foundries, electronics and telecommunications, plastic, fabrication industries, machinery and equipment, automotive components sector, electrical engineering, basic metals, heavy and light engineering, gate and fence, and construction engineering. This would, in turn, hit the freight industry’s cargo volumes and also strikes amongst its own, be it small in numbers, Numsa members. And, if violence, intimidation and calls for support strikes from other unions do take place, the industry could effectively be crippled. CAPTION Union members tend towards violence and intimidation, and have a habit of calling for other workers to go on sympathy strikes.