Settlement yet to be reached in transport strike negotiations

JOHANNESBURG: A settlement has yet to be reached in the road freight transport sectors.

Negotiations were tinuing last night.

Striking truck drivers are planning to march through the streets here to the bar-

con- gaining council’s offices in Braamfontein tomorrow.

On Friday, the Labour Court issued an interdict prohibiting unions and their members from obstructing public roads and workplaces, causing damage to property and vehicles, com- mitting any act of intimidation, public disorder and violence, and carrying any weapons.

They were also interdicted from intimidating any person who did not voluntarily participate in the strike. This included all non- striking employees in the industry.

SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) spokesman Vincent Masoga said the interdict did not affect the strike.

He said the strikers’ plan of action for the week, if a conclusion was not reached, would include a national strike tomorrow.

The week-long strike started last Monday when more than 20 000 road freight transport industry members demanded a 12 percent wage increase. The weekend talks came after the unions rejected the 9 percent offered to them last Tuesday.

Satawu said on Saturday that striking truck drivers aligned to their union were not responsible for the violence that had occurred. – Own Correspondents