FTW 28 May 2010

Page 1

Germany

Italy

Spain United Kingdom FREIGHT & TRADING WEEKLY

Import and Export Consolidations by Sea and Air

United States

TRANSPORT IS OUR BUSINESS Jnb: Tel: (011) 929 4900 Fax: (011) 397 4221 e-Mail: johannesburg@hartrodt.co.za Plz: Tel: (041) 581 0696 Fax: (041) 581 0715 e-Mail: portelizabeth@hartrodt.co.za FTW0390

Cpt: Tel: (021) 380 5860 Fax: (021) 386 2498 e-Mail: capetown@hartrodt.co.za Dur: Tel: (031) 584 6381 Fax: (031) 534 6380 e-Mail: durban@hartrodt.co.za

USA

www.hartrodt.com

FRIDAY 28 May 2010 NO. 1912

UK

The Freight Community’s Weekly Newspaper for Import / Export decision makers – on subscription

Shippers pay the price as unions step up the pressure Major lines announce congestion surcharge By Alan Peat One union may have capitulated and signed an agreement with transport parastatal Transnet to end a strike that has left importers and exporters facing a massive crisis, but the SA Transport Allied Workers Union (Satawu) is adamant it will not give in.

Athough the United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu) signed a pay increase deal, which saw the union’s workers return to work on Monday 24 May, the more aggressive union, Satawu, has refused to sign – and has promised to extend the strike by calling for sympathy strikes from other Cosatu To page 24

Union members are adamant they will not sign a Transnet deal, resulting in ongoing strike action.

RFA draws up anti-toll-road petition By Liesl Venter

to use the already strained secondary road network. Truckers will have no choice From April, Gauteng will but to head for the secondary have some 40 new tolls across routes if toll fees planned its freeways from Soweto to for Gauteng amount to some Sandton, from the West Rand R3.50 per kilometre. to the East. Truckers are With the trucking industry expected to be tolled seven in the process of putting times more than light vehicles together a petition against and tolls are expected to be the planned new tolls for erected every ten kilometres. Gauteng, they say if the Gavin Kelly, spokesman prices remain this exorbitant for the Road Freight they will have no choice but 9:59 Association MF00057_2010CTP.fh11 12/1/09 AM Page 5(RFA), says they

have called on their members to assist with information in an effort to estimate the impact of the new toll fees and a petition is being drawn up. “We believe the toll fees, expected to be in the region of R3.50 per km for truckers, are exorbitant and will negatively impact on the economy. We have asked our members to send us their views and opinions on the C

FTW1856SD

M

Y

proposed fees – once we have all the information we will take it to the Department of Transport and the South African National Roads Agency.” While actively campaigning against the proposed toll fees, Kelly admits they may be fighting a losing battle. “We have been in conversation with Sanral for years. The argument given is that the improvements on CM

MY

CY CMY

K

the freeway must be paid for and an open tolling system is the ideal way.” He says part of the problem is that there is no real clarity around what to expect come April 2011. “That is why it is important we put a case together and prove to them the impact of these tolls on the economy.” In the meantime a very real concern is that truck drivers, To page 24


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.