Union warns over 'scab labour'

Johannesburg - The SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) on Monday strongly condemned Engen's plans to use "scab labour" to do its third-party transhipments during Satawu's planned strike this week.

Satawu has confirmed that a minimum of 30 000 workers would embark on a national strike on Tuesday after a wage dispute was not resolved.

"Satawu wishes to caution Engen not to place the lives of scabs at risk just for the sake of maximising profit during the strike," the trade union reiterated.

The statement is the second open warning made by the trade union to Engen since Friday last week.

"Engen should be careful not to position itself as a reactionary force even before the strike begins as they would regret having to deal with the wrath of Satawu and its members," Satawu said.

Engen said last week moved to avert disruptions during the strike, saying fuel deliveries will continue with minimal disruption during Satawu's strike.

"Engen's customer deliveries will not be affected by the labour issues currently confronting other companies. Except at two depots where we do have contingency plans, we maintain our own bulk fuel transport fleet for purposes of assuring customer satisfaction, and our drivers are not members of the unions that have declared a wage dispute with the Road Freight Employers Association," Engen said in a statement last week.

The petrol group said it did however use third-party vehicles for trans- shipping of its product from depot to depot in some areas, and should deliveries in this segment of the logistics chain will be affected, it would use its own vehicles and those of non-striking members of the road freight industry as part of its contingency measures.

- I-Net Bridge