GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - More than 12 000 jobs in the berry industry in the Western Cape - 4 000 permanent jobs and 8 000 seasonal jobs – would have been on the line if the Transnet wage strike wasn't resolved on Monday this week.

A warning was issued in a joint statement earlier this week by Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities Mireille Wenger and Western Cape Minister of Agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer.

The stone fruit season is due to start in earnest in November, making this a key time for berry exports, specifically blueberries.

But fortunately Transnet reached a deal with the United National Transport Union on Monday. Workers will get a 6% increase in year one, a 5,5% increase in year two, and a 6% increase in year three.

Berries ZA, a body representing businesses in the berry industry in South Africa, esti-mates that between 80% and 90% of those employed in the industry are women.

Functioning and efficient ports are of critical importance to the provincial economy as they enable the region's impressive growth in exports, with an estimated total economic impact close to R66b (8,6%) of the provincial GDP. Wenger said the situation at ports is deeply concerning.

As at Monday 17 October, the same three container vessels have been at berth since the start of the strike on 6 October. This amounts to 11 days. 

Normally, turnaround time, including waiting time to berth, is four days. "A further four container vessels are waiting to berth. Even more worrying is the fact that at least four vessels have omitted the Port of Cape Town completely since the beginning of the strike."

Undermining recent growth

Meyer said a labour dispute is a significant risk for the berry industry in the Western Cape as it undermines the considerable growth (33%) over the last few years.

"The berry sector is export-focused. Blackberries from the Western Cape, for example, are primarily destined for the European markets, with roughly 55% of the Western Cape blackberry exports going to the United Kingdom, followed by Saudi Arabia at 13% and Kuwait (11%) among the top 10 importing countries," Meyer said.

Before the end of the strike Wenger asked for co-operation between stakeholders. "Our economy, hard hit by Covid-19, cannot afford a disruptive strike, on top of the country's energy crisis. Key port services are essential for the future of our country and should be treated as such by all concerned," she said. 

"We must put South Africa first and I reiterate our call for all parties to negotiate in good faith, keeping in mind our common goal to grow the economy, create jobs, and to re-ignite hope and confidence in our province and country."

Cherise Young, logistics, export and marketing manager of Professional Horticul-tural Consulting, said on Tuesday that for them it is business as usual. The company has farms in the Mossel Bay and George areas. They have no problems and are exporting on a daily basis.

'We bring you the latest Garden Route news'