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GroundUp reports that thousands of commuters in Gqeberha were left stranded on Tuesday morning when taxi drivers from the Uncedo Taxi Association and Port Elizabeth District Taxi Association (Pedta) protested, bringing parts of the City to a standstill.
The drivers were demanding answers about their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) funds. At least seven taxi drivers were arrested, two vehicles torched and a truck was hijacked and looted. Protesters also blocked the entrance of Dora Nginza Hospital and shopping malls. Learners and workers were forced to return home. Norwich Taxi Association drivers, who were not part of the strike, were forced to suspend services for the safety of passengers. The Agoa Bus Company and private scholar transports also stopped operating for the day. The Nelson Mandela Bay Regional Taxi Council has since called for an urgent meeting with the disgruntled workers to discuss the problem. This was the second time in three months that the taxi drivers have protested over their Ters money. One protesting driver said: “Most of us are unable to pay our bills and the municipality says we don’t qualify for the assistance because we are full time employees.” Another said he had not received anything since applying for his Ters funds in June 2020. The UIF’s Makhosonke Buthelezi said about the Ters payment problems: “It is not easy to provide a comprehensive response without the details of each of the applicants. We will need ID numbers to check in the system.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mkhuseli Sizani at GroundUp
- Read too, Taxi operators strike in Gqeberha over claim that bosses kept Ters funds for themselves, at News24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page