Interdict granted against truck driver strike over employment of foreign nationals

• An interdict has been granted against truck drivers who threatened a national strike on Tuesday.
• Truck drivers are protesting against claims that foreign nationals are employed by the industry instead of local drivers.
• Unions have distanced themselves from the planned shutdown.

An interdict has been granted against truck drivers who threatened a national strike on Tuesday to protest against claims that foreign nationals are employed by the industry instead of local drivers.

On Monday, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria granted an interdict against the planned strike, restraining the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF) and its secretary general Sifiso Nyathi from organising, encouraging or inciting any protest action or "national shutdown".

Sipho Zungu, leader of the ATDF, told TimesLIVE on Monday he was aware of calls for a national shutdown, but he had "nothing to do with it".

Zungu reportedly said he had seen a statement circulating on Facebook which was "posted by a guy that I don't even know".

He told TimesLIVE while he had not called for any shutdown, it was understandable that the drivers were fed up.

The publication reported that it had received an email calling for the shutdown, though it did not reveal the source.

The email reportedly read: "In Eastern Cape alone, there are over 500 qualified truck drivers who are unemployed while the industry employs over 90% of foreign truck drivers. The citizens have received support from over 1 000 truck drivers nationally who will not drive any trucks from 7 July in solidarity with the unemployed."

SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) deputy general secretary Anele Kiet reportedly distanced the union from any sort of shutdown.

City Press, however, reported on 27 June that according to some drivers, a nationwide strike against all trucking companies to remove non-South African drivers and replace them with local drivers was imminent and could start on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Newzroom Afrika spoke to a few truck drivers picketing in City Deep, Johannesburg, but no other reports of protest action could be found.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Senior Superintendent Wayne Minnaar told News24 on Tuesday morning some trucks were blocking the M2 highway near Benrose, but no incidents of violence had been reported.

In September 2019, striking truck drivers set trucks alight in Durban, but unions distanced themselves from the protest action, Fin24 reported.

 - Compiled by Riaan Grobler