Transnet strike leaves thousands stranded

South Africa faces a nationwide strike by some 50-thousand Transnet workers today that will cause chaos for commuters and cost the economy millions of rands. Union spokesperson Randall Howard says the strike is necessary because of the transformation within Transnet. He claims the company did not consult with the workers about the changes and that jobs are on the line. Metrorail says train schedules have had to be changed drastically in an effort to keep the country’s commuters moving. In KwaZulu-Natal trains will only be running at hourly intervals. Pretoria commuters have been urged to find alternative transport while Metrorail in Cape Town says it is too early to tell how many trains will be running. Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott says commuters must try to arrange their own transport.