Durban - 11 OCTOBER 2022 - Truck drivers had to wait for the whole day to move their goods at the Durban harbour due to a road blockade because of a Transnet strike over low wages. File Picture: Bongani Mbatha/African News Agency /ANA
Johannesburg - A group of frustrated local truck drivers have warned of a possible national shutdown on April 30 to address various issues, including the demand of a R25 000 basic salary and the employment of foreigners in the trucking industry.
According to a notice on social media, the other issues that truck drivers want to be addressed include not having cameras inside their cabs, the safety of truck drivers on the roads, the scrapping of labour brokers and for all truck companies to comply with the collective agreement.
The Road Freight Association (RFA) has called for these concerns to be addressed with the relevant authorities, including providing details of the non-compliant transport companies, so that action can be taken.
RFA chief executive Gavin Kelly said shutdowns had a negative effect on compliant trucking companies, the economy and citizens.
“The notice being circulated on social media by a group calling themselves All SA Drivers is yet another example of how the logistics chain is continuously threatened.
“The notice calls for all truck companies to comply with the collective agreement (negotiated between representatives of unions and employers at the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry), but then goes further in rejecting selected items from this agreement.”
Kelly said collective bargaining existed to ensure negotiated, structured and peaceful resolution to disagreements between employers and employees.
“The RFA agrees that the task team has taken longer than expected, but the right solutions need to be found and developed to treat the causes, not the symptoms.”
“The RFA trusts that the relevant authorities, including the SAPS, will show the same resolve in dealing with any illegal activities creating a shutdown of supply-chain routes, as was shown in the previous national shutdown,” said Kelly.
IOL
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