Trade union United Association of South Africa (Uasa) has reported that striking workers in the platinum sector have lost about R5-billion in wages, which has the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to call on the South African government to intervene.

Uasa president Costa Raftopoulos stated during the presentation of the union’s thirteenth ‘Employment Report’ in Johannesburg last month that nonstriking workers were also affected, as they were losing their overtime and production bonuses, which amounted to an estimated R15 700 for every nonstriking worker to date since the strike started on January 23.

Regarding the nature of strikes worldwide, ILO African director Vic van Vuuren noted at the event that, with the current strikes in the platinum industry, government should be at a stage whereby it considered ways of proactively avoiding conflict through effective social dialogue and collective bargaining.

“The right to strike is a fundamental right of workers and their organisations, but it must be used as a means of defending the economic interests of the country. In the case of South Africa, a general prohibition of strikes can be justified only in the event of an acute national emergency and for a limited period,” he pointed out.

He mentioned that in countries such as Canada, Denmark, Iceland and Norway, strikes were brought to an end and disputes referred to an arbitration body through Parliament’s adopting ad hoc legislation, which could be an option that South Africa could consider.

Van Vuuren also added that, in the US, at the request of the President, a federal or district court might issue an injunction if it considers that a strike or lockout affecting an entire industry or a substantial part of an industry would imperil national health or safety, which could be another option for South Africa to consider.

Given the negative impact of the strike, Van Vuuren said there was a need for ongoing social dialogue, enabling different stakeholders to join forces and discuss the frustrations of workers in the workplace, which, more often than not, translated into their financial needs for survival and providing for their families.

“There is also a need for the South African government to take a proactive role in dealing with the effects of the platinum sector in the economy and to assess what arises from social dialogues to enable the making of informed decisions on the matter at hand. The South African government might need to create a system or law that will assist in dealing with such strikes in the future,” he concluded.