Critical South African industry under siege

• South Africa's sugar industry workers have downed tools due to a wage negotiation breakdown between unions and employers.
• The strike, involving 70% of the industry's 5,000 workers, is part of a broader struggle against cheap imports that have undercut local producers' prices.
• The dispute highlights ongoing calls for stronger trade protection from South African industry stakeholders, who argue the current tariff on sugar imports is ineffective in defending domestic growers.