Concerns of disruption to South Africa’s fresh produce trading with the UK due to proposed worker strikes at ports has been eased.
Following the two-week strike of South Africa’s lorry freight drivers there had been fears port workers would follow suit, but a proposed sympathy strike by port and rail workers was called off after drivers won an average annual pay increase of 8.7 percent over three years.
Penwell Lunga, who chairs the Road Freight Employers’ Association, said the strike had cost workers £19.3 million in lost wages, while employers suffered around a £170m loss over the two weeks according to the South Africa Press Association.
Trade association Agri South Africa admitted last week that the strikes had resulted in “significant losses” for South African fresh produce suppliers and feared that international trade would also be affected.
“Foreign buyers, especially of fresh produce, will not tolerate poorer quality or inadequate provision as a result of local strikes, especially those that impact on harbour facilities,” said Agri SA president Johannes Möller at the time.
But the UK division of South African-owned fresh produce giant Capespan told the FPJ that business has not been too badly affected.
“The supermarkets in South Africa have had shortages and there has been a slight port blockade of our imports, but fortunately the strikes have now been resolved and we’ve not seen an impact on any of our fruit exports,” said Steve McVickers of Capespan’s UK operation.
Jacques Du Preez at Hortgro, South Africa’s growers association, is glad the strikes were resolved before getting out of control. He concluded: “Fortunately we are now pretty much at the end of the fruit export season with most of our citrus already exported; the quick resolution means everything is now operating as normal.”
No comments yet