It's back to normal after Beit Bridge strike

Monday, February 1, 1999
IT WAS 'back to normal' at Beit Bridge on Monday morning after a flash strike among customs workers last Thursday had threatened to disrupt operations at the border post.
It's fine now and we managed to clear up everything during the weekend, says Ian Cooper, vice chairman of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders Beit Bridge branch.
There are a few hiccups, but these are being sorted out.
The full reasons for the strike have not been disclosed but, according
to South African Revenue Services spokesman Christo Henning, it was an 'unprotected strike' in terms of the Labour Relations Act.
SARS senior management flew to the region on Friday to resolve the conflict. It is understood that the basis of the strike was an affirmative action issue, although Henning points out that the border post employs 75% black personnel.
It put us back a day, but we were able to get everything running fairly smoothly by the weekend, says Cooper.