Three weeks have passed since the strike by truckers unions began in South Africa, causing ferroalloy producers to declare force majeure on some of the shipments.

 

Assmang declared force majeure on some deliveries of manganese alloys chrome ore that are to be containerized upon export requiring transportation by trucks to the loading port. Its shipments of manganese ore and chrome ore in bigger lots have not been affected.

 

The inland transportation within South Africa has been stuck due to the strike, affecting deliveries of alloys to the ports and of raw materials (ores and reductants) to the smelters. Mogale Alloys declared force majeure on plasma shipments, and the operations at ASA Metals and TATA have been also affected due to lack of timely supplies. Xstrata is not the exception but forecasts only some delays in loading as it relies more on rail transportation than on trucks.

 

The unions, in strike since September 24th 2012 requiring a pay raise of 12% had 3 negotiations with a representative of employers have not agreed to end the strike. Although there was information that about 15,000 union members would return to work on Wednesday this week, the strike is presently going on.

 

The employers' representative said that "No further negotiations are scheduled."