Press Statement dated 26 April 2018
The United National Transport Union (UNTU) demands that the South African Government immediately steps-up to ensure that the employees of Autopax, a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), receive their salaries today.
It is shocking and an immediate result of the continuous changes in crucial leadership positions in Prasa, that Autopax had to issue a statement yesterday to say that the state-owned enterprise will not be able to pay salaries this month end, due to its major cash flow challenges, says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
“UNTU will not accept Autopax’s pathetic excuse that this is due to the ongoing bus strike that other Unions in the bus transport sector embarked on last week. It is a Constitutional Right of all workers to embark on a protected strike.
“By withholding their salaries and stating that the company cannot pay them because an adequate number of buses could not operate, is holding the striking workers ransom to return to work or else their families would be without food and shelter,” Harris says.
According to him it is about time that Government stops wasting billions of taxpayers’ money to keep the bankrupt South African Airways (SAA), when it can be profitably operated by a private owned company with the necessary expertise.
“Prasa, with its divisions Autopax, Metrorail and Shosoloza Meyl, delivers much needed transport to the poorest of the poor. Trains are the cheapest form of transport in our country that is widely divided in our social stands. South African’s must put pressure on Government to oblige to its Constitutional obligation to the poorest of the poor,” Harris says.
Harris called on UNTU’s affiliated federation, FEDUSA, to immediately use its influence through Nedlac to ensure the payments of the salaries are done.
Issued on behalf of United National Transport Union (UNTU) by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer