The strike has also caused a backlog that will take weeks to clear, even if it is dissolved in the next two days.Industrial action by workers at state-owned ports and railway operator Transnet costs South Africa’s berry industry as much as R134 million weekly.
Workers affiliated with the United National Transport Union and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union downed tools, initially demanding increases of up to 13.5%. As the strike drags on, the industry is now 'gravely' concerned about the outlook of the berry sector, whose R3 billion export revenue stands to be lost, chairperson of BerriesZA Justin Mudge, said. “Even if a solution to the current impasse is found in the next day or two, the backlog in the berry value chain will take weeks to clear, resulting in hundreds of millions of rands in further losses for the sector,” Mudge said.
The association said it will continue engaging with the Transnet team and has urged national ministers to intervene in this crisis urgently to find a solution to the impasse with the unions.