'Slower approach is in the
interests of safety'
Leonard Neill
DURBAN'S PORT management has come under fire from four labour unions which have issued a joint statement claiming that obsolete equipment is the main contributing factor to harbour congestion. At the same time they say that the Cosmos computerised system was introduced without proper strategic planning, and has been a major problem in container handling.
The unions Ð SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu), United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu), SA Logistics Services, Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Salstaff) and the Dock General Workers' Union - have also denied that dock workers are undertaking any go-slow approach in daily operations.
"This is a typical example of scape-goating," says the joint statement. "All unions are in agreement there is no official or unofficial go-slow by workers at Durban Container Terminal. As workers, they often have to deal with poor, old and dangerous machinery and equipment."
This, says the statement, forces workers to take a slower, steadier approach to their general working conditions in the interests of safety.
While the recently established Dock General Workers' Union represents mainly casual workers, the other three long-established unions represent about 86% of those employed at the container terminal.
"There is supposed to be a four-hour turnaround in berthing time after a ship has been offloaded, but since the restructuring of the National Ports Authority on August 2001, this has often not been achieved, which results in a shortage of marine staff who conduct this function," says the statement.
Cosmos, the tracking and handling system for loading, offloading and placement of containers, has affected efficiency, according to the shop stewards to the unions.
They claim the system was not conducive to efficiency under existing working conditions. It is an international system purchased by management with no consideration for the physical realities of the Durban Container Terminal. They maintain that the introduction of such new technologies is a clear example of the pursuit of international trends with no strategic thinking regarding their compatibility with local conditions.
