Moneyweb reports that Transnet has obtained a court interdict to stop illegal strike action by employees at the Ngqura Container Terminal.  

The go-slow has severely disrupted production at the Volkswagen SA (VWSA) manufacturing plant in Uitenhage and has caused a crisis in the citrus industry in the Eastern Cape.  The Citrus Growers Association has called on trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel to intervene on behalf of the industry to prevent the industrial action in the port from developing into a deeper economic crisis.  Transnet spokesperson Molatwane Likhethe said they was aware of the challenges that the go-slow’ of the past two weeks had caused to various industries across the country.  Mohammed Mahomedy, acting group CE at Transnet, said they were working around the clock to find solutions, including prioritising urgent cargo.  VWSA said on Monday that its plant was able to produce normally on Thursday, Friday and at the weekend, but the situation was not looking positive from Tuesday.  The go-slow in the port has not yet affected the production of Isuzu Motor SA, the other vehicle manufacturer in the city.  Justin Chadwick, CE of the Citrus Growers Association, said the situation at the port had now reached crisis proportions.  The consequences of delays on vessels calling into the port were that containers of citrus were unable to be packed, which meant citrus consignments now had to be trucked at extra cost to Durban and Cape Town for export.

• Read the full original of Roy Cokayne’s report on the above story at Moneyweb

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