Workers strike at Ngqura terminal

WORKERS affiliated to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) went on a protected strike at the Ngqura Container Terminal in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday, disrupting most of its operations.

Meanwhile, the strike by Numsa-affiliated workers at the city’s Continental Tyre South Africa enters its 12th day today, after the union and company failed to reach an agreement yesterday.

At Ngqura, strike convener Sipho Antoni said the union wanted Transnet to implement a three-hours-to-one agreement (where staff work three hours followed by an hour’s break), permanently employ workers provided by labour brokers, and provide an equal transport subsidy for all workers.

Workers from labour brokers earned R32 an hour compared with permanent employees’ R88 an hour, Antoni said from the port’s designated picketing line.

A striking worker, Phillip Salion, 58, said he had worked at the terminal as a driver for four years under a labour broker. He said he had applied for a permanent positions several times, to no avail.

“Posts are advertised but outsiders, whom we have to train, are hired instead of us,” he said.

Transnet communications officer Sithembiso Soyaya said management was on site to attend to operational customer queries.

At Continental Tyre, workers downed tools earlier this month, demanding the company pay them according to what they said was a bargaining council agreement reached in 2010.

But the company’s HR general manager Attie Higgs previously said the council had referred the issue back to plant level so firms and unions would reach an agreement for weekend payments.

Yesterday’s meeting follows one on Thursday where Numsa turned down a proposal which regional secretary Phumzile Nodongwe said the company had suggested to reduce shifts from five to four.

Higgs said they were hopeful an agreement would be reached when they met again on Tuesday.