Are unions treating the state like an endless ATM? Rethinking the Transnet wage deal.

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Guest: Busi Mavuso – CEO, Business Leadership South Africa



In this gripping conversation, Busi Mavuso unpacks the fallout of Transnet’s recent wage agreement with unions, a 6% annual increase for the next three years amid a weak economy and mounting state debt. With inflation hovering at just 2.7% and GDP growth at a sluggish 1.4%, she argues that this deal not only reflects a breakdown of leadership, but also exposes the country to a dangerous cycle of economic blackmail and unsustainable bailouts.



We explore urgent questions: How do we balance worker rights with economic realities? Are unions at state-owned enterprises like Transnet helping or hindering national recovery? And what structural reforms are needed to fix a logistics system that, according to some estimates, is costing South Africa R1 billion per day?
17 Jun 2025 9AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

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