Lo sciopero sudafricano blocca l’esportazione di metalli, succo di limone e vino
Mike Cohen e Franz Wild
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– Lo sciopero dei lavoratori di porti e ferrovie sudafricane, giunto al 4° giorno, sta causando forti perdite ai produttori di metalli, vino e frutta, che esportano in Europa e Asia.
– Allo sciopero parteciperebbe (secondo la direzione del gruppo) il 59% dei salariati di Transnet, 54 000.
– Transnet gestisce le principali linee di trasporto di metalli e granaglie, e un oleodotto, che rappresenta la principale fonte di combustibile del paese.
– Xstrata Plc, Samancor Ltd. e Ruukki Group (ferrocromo) e Anglo American Plc’s Kumba Iron Ore (minerali di ferro) si dicono colpite fortemente dallo sciopero.
– Due terminal di Richards Bay, il maggiore porto per l’export sudafricano, gestito da Transnet, operano al 20% delle sue capacità.
– Per la prossima settimana sindacati stanno pensando di fermare il trasporto passeggeri, 2mn./giorno.
– Utatu fa sapere che i 10000 salariati di Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (4000 iscritti a Utatu e 6000 a Satawu, hanno comunicato l’intenzione di scioperare.
– I sindacati chiedono aumenti del 15%; Transnet offre +11%, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa +5%.
Continua per il 3° giorno lo sciopero dei trasporti in Sudafrica
Franz Wild e Renee Bonorchis
● Terzo giorno di sciopero (iniziato lunedì) per porti e ferrovie sudafricane, dopo che il gruppo statale di logistica Transnet ha respinto le richieste di aumenti salariali.
● I lavoratori chiedono aumenti del 15%, ed hanno respinto l’offerta padronale dell’11%.
● Lo sciopero, l’ultima di una serie di proteste prima della Coppa del Mondo, potrebbe colpire le esportazioni di carbone, minerale di ferro, distribuzione di combustibile e spedizioni.
– Allo sciopero indetto da South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union[e](SATAWU) si unisce il sindacato United Transport and Allied Trade Union[e](UTATU); assieme i due sindacati rappresentano l’85% dei salariati Transnet,
o Utatu rappresenta 21 000 dei 54 000 lavoratori di Transnet; Sawu ne rappresenta 18000.
– Il Sudafrica è il maggior fornitore di carbone alle centrali elettriche europee ed asiatiche, il maggior esportatore mondiale di ferrocromo, usato per la produzione di acciaio inossidabile, ed ha un’industria agroalimentare, fatturato annuale di $1,2 MD).
– Dopo la Spagna, il Sudafrica è il secondo maggior produttore mondiale di succo di agrumi, fatturato annuale di $600 mn..
– Solo una piccola parte del carbone prodotto è trasportato per ferrovia.
– Il sindacato ha organizzato cortei di protesta verso gli uffici di Transnet, a Johannesburg, Durban e Polokwane;
13 lavoratori in protesta sono stati arrestati ieri a Durban.
South African Strike Curbs Exports of Metal, Citrus Fruit, Wine
By Mike Cohen and Franz Wild
– May 13 (Bloomberg) — South Africa’s economy faces the loss of “billions of rand” if a strike that has shut ports and rail lines and slashed exports of metals, wine and fruit to Europe and Asia, isn’t resolved quickly.
– “Hundreds of millions of rand are being lost every day as a result of the strike,” said Johan Botha, an economist at Standard Bank Group Ltd., Africa’s largest lender, by phone from Johannesburg today. “If it lasts for a week or so, then we can talk in terms of billions.” It’s too soon to say what the effect will be on South African gross domestic product, he said.
– A strike by more than half of the 54,000 workers employed by state ports and freight rail operator, Transnet Ltd., entered its fourth day today, slashing exports from the nation’s ports. South Africa is the largest supplier of coal to European power plants and the world’s biggest ferrochrome producer. Transnet operates the nation’s main metal and grain lines, as well as a pipeline that is Johannesburg’s chief source of fuel.
– Ferrochrome producers Xstrata Plc, Samancor Ltd. and Ruukki Group have declared force majeure on shipments of the steel- making ingredient, while Anglo American Plc’s Kumba Iron Ore Ltd. said it’s been “quite severely” affected. Force majeure means companies are unable to meet contract terms because of circumstances beyond their control.
– Two terminals at the Transnet-operated port of Richards Bay, South Africa’s biggest bulk export facility, are running at about 20 percent of capacity, according to two shipping agents, who declined to be identified because Transnet hasn’t disclosed the full impact of the strike.
– Richards Bay port handles commodities including metals, ferrochrome, granite, paper pulp, wood chips and acid.
– Ports at Durban and Cape Town are facing a “build up” of vessels and Transnet is having “great difficulty” handling containers, Pradeep Maharaj, Transnet’s chief executive of human resources, said today. About 59 percent of the company’s workforce is on strike, he said. Durban is South Africa’s main source of imports for the country’s economic heartland of Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg.
– Loading of citrus fruit has stopped completely, Maharaj said. South Africa is the world’s second-largest citrus producer after Spain, according to Justin Chadwick, chief executive officer of the nation’s Citrus Growers Association.
– The industry, worth an annual 4.5 billion-rand ($600 million), is currently storing fruit in fridges. The stores will be full within two days and “we’ll be in trouble,” he said from Durban. About 55 percent of South Africa’s citrus produce goes to Europe and 20 percent to the Middle East, he said.
– Wine shipments have also been halted, said James Reid, vice chairman of Wines of South Africa, which represents 500 wine exporters. “If we can’t export it, we lose the business,” he said by phone from Stellenbosch, in the heart of South Africa’s winegrowing heartland near Cape Town.
– The privately owned Richards Bay Coal Terminal, which ships most of the nation’s coal destined for Europe, hasn’t been affected, Chief Executive Officer Raymond Chirwa said yesterday. Stocks were built up before the strike, minimizing the impact.
Stocks at the terminal are expected to last another four weeks, said Xavier Prevost, a coal analyst at XMP Consulting, by phone from Johannesburg today. “If the strike continues beyond that, there may be a problem. Coal exports will be delayed.”
The strike is undermining efforts to revive Africa’s largest economy after its first recession in 17 years. The government is also worried about the effect on the country as it prepares to host Africa’s first soccer World Cup, due to kick off on June 11.
Transnet is prioritizing containers that contain products related to the World Cup, Maharaj said today.
– The strike may intensify further next week with unions pledging to halt commuter rail services used by about 2 million passengers a day. About 10,000 workers employed by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa have served notice of their intention to go on strike, according to the United Transport & Allied Trade Union, or Utatu.
A meeting between Transnet and unions will be held tomorrow, mediated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, a body set up to resolve disputes between workers and their employers, said Utatu Deputy General Secretary, Eddie de Klerk. “A neutral third party may help bring the groups together,” he said by phone from Johannesburg.
– No talks have been scheduled with the Passenger Rail Agency, which employs about 4,000 Utatu members and 6,000 members of the South African Transport & Allied Workers Union, Utatu General Secretary Steve Harris said earlier.
– The unions are demanding a 15 percent wage increase and improved benefits, while Transnet is offering 11 percent and the Passenger Rail Agency 5 percent. South Africa’s consumer inflation rate was 5.1 percent in March.
“Fifteen percent is completely out of reach, given that the economy in only now starting to pick up,” said Standard Bank’s Botha. “It then sets a target for other trade unions.”
“We can’t return to work until our grievances have been resolved,” said striking dock worker Blessing Mwenye in an interview in Durban. “This is about more than just money, it’s about the different conditions between workers and management.”
–With assistance from Carli Lourens, Ron Derby and Nicky Smith in Johannesburg, Brian Latham in Durban, and Alaric Nightingale and Firat Kayakiran in London. Editors: Alastair Reed, Antony Sguazzin.
South Africa Transport Strike to Continue for 3rd Day (Update3)
By Franz Wild and Renee Bonorchis
– A strike at South African ports and railroads, which slowed exports of coal, ferrochrome and fruit, will continue for a third day tomorrow after state-owned Transnet Ltd. again rejected demands for a wage hike.
– At a meeting in Johannesburg today, Transnet negotiators told union[e]leaders they will not improve their offer of an 11 percent wage increase, the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union[e]said in an e-mailed statement. Unions are demanding a 15 percent wage increase.
“Satawu views management’s response as highly irresponsible,” the statement said. “The strike therefore continues tomorrow.”
– South Africa is the largest supplier of coal to European power plants, the world’s biggest exporter of ferrochrome, used in the production of stainless steel, and has a $1.2 billion fruit industry.
– Kumba Iron Ore Ltd., the largest African producer of the ore, which it exports through the western port of Saldanha, fell 0.6 percent to 324 rand in Johannesburg. The rand weakened 0.2 percent to 7.5174 against the dollar as of 6:45 p.m. local time.
– The United Transport and Allied Trade Union[e]will join the nationwide strike from tomorrow after its members decided to support it, General Secretary Chris de Vos said in Johannesburg earlier today.
– Utatu “will be with you in the streets,” de Vos told cheering members of Satawu, who went on strike yesterday.
– Satawu represents about 18,000 of Transnet’s 54,000 workers, while Utatu represents 21,000.
“Most of the stuff is standing still as we speak,” Utatu President George Strauss said in an interview today, referring to Transnet’s port, rail and pipeline operations. “From tomorrow, nothing will function” he said. There may be talks with Transnet at 4 p.m. local time today, he said.
– Freshgold SA Exports Ltd., which exports 36,000 metric tons of fruit a year to markets in East and West Africa, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Russia and the Middle East, said as much as 8 million rand of produce was blocked by the strike.
“If we can’t start loading containers within the next three or four days, it’s going to start affecting us badly,” Jannie Louwrens, who manages transport for the company, said in an interview.
– Richards Bay Coal Terminal, through which most of South Africa’s coal exports pass, was operating normally yesterday. It is privately operated, though the trains that supply the terminal and the bigger port in which it operates are managed by Transnet.
Transnet Corporate and Public Affairs manager Mboniso Sigonyela said the company may comment later today.
– Thirteen protesters were arrested in Durban yesterday for “violence and intimidation” during the strike, Transnet said in an e-mailed statement.
To contact the reporter on this story: Renee Bonorchis in Johannesburg at rbonorchis@bloomberg.net.
Bigger union[e]joins South Africa transport strike
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – The biggest transport union[e]at South Africa’s logistics group Transnet said on Tuesday it would join a national rail and port strike on Wednesday, widening its impact on the country’s ports and rail services.
State-owned Transnet does not operate passenger services, but the strike — the latest in a series of public protests before next month’s World Cup soccer tournament — could affect coal and iron ore exports, fuel distribution, and shipping.
Thousands of transport workers from the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union[e](Satawu) began a strike on Monday at freight operator Transnet over a wage dispute.
– The United Transport and Allied Trade Union[e](Utatu) said its members had overwhelmingly voted to join the strike.
– Together, Utatu and Satawu jointly represent 85 percent of Transnet’s workforce of around 54,000.
"We will be on strike as of tomorrow morning. We got an overwhelming mandate rejecting the offer," Louis Brockett, General Secretary of Utatu, told Reuters.
The two unions met with Transnet to try reopen talks but the company would not raise its 11 percent pay offer, Satawu said in a statement. Both unions want a 15 percent pay rise, which is well above the inflation rate of 5.1 percent.
"Management … repeated its take-it-or-leave-it position, that if the unions do not sign the offer, there is nothing to talk about," Satawu said.
– The union[e]said striking workers would organise marches to Transnet offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Polokwane, starting on Wednesday.
"Satawu therefore expects that wherever there is still any limited movement of goods and fuel by Transnet, this will be totally shut down by this evening," Satawu’s Policy Research officer Jane Barrett said, after Utatu said it will also strike.
– Transnet and coal, iron ore, ferrochrome and fuel producers said they were confident they could supply customers for days due to built up stocks at the ports, but other industries, including exporters of fresh fruit, said they were already feeling the pain.
– Power utility Eskom said the strike would have no impact on the transport of coal used to power its plants, since only small amounts of coal were carried by rail, with the rest supplied by conveyor belts directly from mines.
– South African prompt coal prices were largely unaffected by the strike, which could hit rail and port movement of coal for export, traders and utilities said.
– The country is one of the world’s key suppliers of coal, and ships most of its product to power stations in Europe and Asia.
Transnet said 13 people were arrested in Durban after a protest turned violent on Monday.