Email puts industry in unnecessary flap

A message circulated last week
put the industry into a spin –
and all for nothing.
The widely circulated email
read: “Please take note that
that today’s wage negotiations
will determine if the looming
transporter strike will
commence on September 27 as
expected. It is obviously unclear
how long this strike will last
should it indeed commence.
“Should you have containers
that are already in the port it
may be a good idea to try and
move them before the 27th.
The same will apply for export
boxes….”
Then, the next day, this was
made an even worse worry for
transporters with an e-mail
that said: “Please note that the
strike will commence tomorrow
the 27th and not September 27
as stated in my mail yesterday.”
But thanks to the alert
response by Gavin Kelly,
technical and operations
manager of the Road Freight
Association (RFA), industry
fears were allayed.
Kelly revealed that
the information was
false. “The RFA is
the employer party
at the National
Bargaining Council
for the Road Freight and
Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI)
and is still involved in wage
negotiations relating to the
transport industry,” he said.
“Please check the validity and
source of information relating
to the discussions between
unions and the employer before
statements are made to the
general public in matters in
which there are defined players
and where mandates are
strictly adhered to.”