Transporters have called on the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI) to renegotiate wage increases for 2020 and 2021.Several transporters told Freight News Features that Covid-19 had had a major impact on hauliers.“Even some of the big industry icons have had to retrench and are under pressure, fighting for survival,” said one operator. Many transporters say, considering the decline in the economy, a renegotiation is necessary, while others have called for exemption from the wage process.According to Penwell Lunga of the NBCRFLI, an exemption process does exist for companies that cannot meet minimum requirements. “We are currently still in the process of establishing the full impact of the lockdown on the industry,” he said, indicating that renegotiation with unions over wages was not on the table as yet.
