South African transport unions have signed a wage deal ending a three-week strike, putting a stop to labour unrest that has hit deliveries of fuel, cash and consumer goods.

“The agreement has been signed by everyone. The strike is off immediately,” said Penwell Lunga, chairman of the Road Freight Employers Association.

He said workers have agreed to accept wage increases of 10% from March 2013, 8% the following year and 9% for 2015.

All four transport unions were part of the agreement, association spokeswoman Magretia Brown-Engelbrecht said.

More than 20,000 truck drivers have taken to the streets in often violent protests since late September, demanding higher wages. At least one person was killed and dozens of trucks were torched by demonstrators.

Petrol stations have been experiencing delays of up to a day in getting fuel and some have run completely dry, the South African Petroleum Industry Association said on Thursday.

Other affected companies include logistics groups Imperial Holding, Super Group, Grindrod, Barloworld and Bidvest.

News of the wage deal helped relieve some of the pressure on the rand. The currency, which tumbled to a 3-1/2 year low on Monday on concerns about weeks of crippling strikes, hit its highest in a week immediately following the news. The rand firmed to 8,59, its strongest level since last week Friday, gaining from 8,63 before.

Since August almost 100,000 workers across South Africa — including 75,000 in the mining sector — have downed tools in often illegal and violent strikes that have undermined investor confidence and already shaky economic growth.

Moody’s also cut South Africa’s credit rating last month, citing the government’s failure to tackle the industrial unrest that has swept from the platinum and gold sectors into other parts of the economy.

In the diamond industry, striking workers at Petra Diamonds mines have agreed to return to work while union leaders continue talks with management, the National Union of Mineworkers said on Friday.

More than 50 people have been killed in labour-related protests in the last two months, including 34 shot dead by police at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine on Aug. 16.

South Africa is home to 80% of known reserves of platinum and the price of the precious metal has risen more than 20% since the Marikana shootings, the bloodiest security incident since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Striking gold miners rejected the industry’s latest wage offer on Thursday. Africa’s top three bullion producers — AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony Gold — have given them until Monday to reconsider.

In a separate dispute, a union representing 190,000 government workers has threatened a nationwide strike from next week. One of the union’s provincial branches will meet with employers on Tuesday to discuss the workers’ demands.

Around 3,800 clothing workers have also downed tools over wages, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) said.

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Wed Jun 19 12:17:07 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 12, 2012

Papage

Who is going to pay for the burned Trucks? Union I guess, they must be charged for damaging properties and murder, some people were killed, by them. we want to see justice, we can not allow lawlessness in SA. People must learn to negotiate, not with violence
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Oct 12, 2012

shrink7

after so much bloodshed, is this gona be the norm?
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Oct 12, 2012

mhlupheki

who is the winner here and the looser?
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Oct 12, 2012

RobinH

The nation is the loser.
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Oct 12, 2012

swona

Is it true that ANC has stopped SABC from airing a programme where Prince Mashele was criticising zuma? do we have media freedom in SA or we just like zimbabwe?

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Oct 12, 2012

KatakataEmaotoAditshepe

Well done my brothers I knew that you'll accept only the best offer.

@mhlupheki
who is the winner here and the looser?
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Fat loosers are employers in both production and their vehicles too but i'm not proud of that what I like that taught them good lesson.


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Oct 12, 2012

KatakataEmaotoAditshepe

@RobinH
The nation is the loser.
================
Ah ah Rob, you exactly know who the loser is.

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Oct 12, 2012

warry

Owners you know what you do next, don't replace the burnt trucks so some of the scumbags become redundant then you retrench them. Good riddance to bad rubbish cause they can't sitbthere doing nothing causentrucks were burnt.
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Oct 12, 2012

KatakataEmaotoAditshepe

@warry

Owners you know what you do next, don't replace the burnt trucks so some of the scumbags become redundant then you retrench them. Good riddance to bad rubbish cause they can't sitbthere doing nothing causentrucks were burnt.
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Only the loyal scambags to their employers(whites) who pay them peanuts will be sitting at home if the trucks are not repalced.


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Oct 12, 2012

Flemza

Like what I said earlier in my blog this morning , I was starting to get used to this truck strike , the anxiety of not getting cast at an ATM , and running out off petrol in the middle of no where because the last ultra city 300kms away you did not get petrol, this was now exciting to me , now that the strikes are over , life is going back to normal and start boring, please just let the strike continue for another month please , just for the enjoyment of it
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