Transnet has condemned the violence, thuggery and intimidation that has accompanied the industrial action at the Ngqura Container Terminal. The workers, who are members of Numsa at the terminal, have been on a no-work-no-pay strike since April 25.
Houses and properties belonging to staff who chose not to take part in the action have been petrol-bombed, stoned, vandalised and burnt in a series of criminal incidents. “This is unacceptable and we have heightened our security to ensure the safety of our colleagues, those who have chosen not to take part in the strike action, our assets, and the assets of third parties on our premises.
“We have reported all the incidents to the relevant security agencies and members of the public are encouraged to report any incidents of criminal behavior,” a spokesman said. “In addition, Transnet has offered a R100 000 reward for information that may lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
“The action by members of the National Union of Metal Workers of Southern Africa (Numsa) is continuing and we are continuously assessing the impact on our operations and customers. We have also implemented a lock-out on all the participating employees, effective since Monday April 28. This means that those who chose to take part in the action will not be allowed to return to work until the union has withdrawn its demands.
“We have activated our contingency plans, including a command centre, which is staffed by our executives from the operations. These are intended to ensure that there is minimum disruption to all port users and customers. Although the strike is still ongoing, our colleagues affiliated to Transnet’s recognised unions, Satawu and Utatu Sarwhu, who represent around 80% of our colleagues in the bargaining unit, continue to work. Numsa is not one of our recognised trade unions as it does not have sufficient members to qualify for organisational rights.”
Ngqura strike turns ugly
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