Press Statement dated 24 July 2019
Join our marches in Johannesburg from End Street, North Park, in Doornfontein, and in Tshwane, in the park at the corner of Park Street and Burnett Street on Friday, 26 july 2019 at 10:00.
We demand seven actions from President Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure a safe working environment for our members working for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and safe and reliable trains for commuters:-
- That members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) be deployed to patrol and safeguard the 22 298 route kilometres, and total track distance of 30 400 km, the 11 th biggest rail network in the world.
- That the South African Police Service (SAPS) be instructed to adhere to Section 205 of the Constitution to prevent, combat and investigate crime, maintain public order, protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic of South African and their property and uphold and enforce the law, also when it comes to PRASA.
- Integrate PRASA with Transnet as they were prior to 2006.
- Force PRASA to comply with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act which gives all human a right to a safe and healthy working environment. This means that Prasa management and its employees must do everything within their means to preventing unnecessary injury, illness and loss, provide and maintain, where reasonably practicable, a healthy work environment that is without risk to employees and to force employees to take reasonable care for the health and safety for him or herself as well as other persons. All employees have the right to be informed. The employer should ensure that the employee clearly understands the health and safety hazards of any work being done, anything being produced, processed, used, stored, handled or transported, and any equipment or machinery being used. The employer must provide information about precautionary measures against these hazards. (Decent work for all)
- Force the SAPS to investigate and charge, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to prosecute and the Judiciary to impose the provisions of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015.
- Ensure that the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) can exercise its statutory mandate independently from Prasa.
- Ensure that National Department of Human Settlement, Provincial Governments and the various municipalities find alternative housing urgently and relocate the thousands of squatters living as close as half a meter from railway lines in contradiction of the safety reserve that is between 20 m to 40 m on average to enable vehicles to drive along the railway routes in case of an emergency line a derailment.
For more information call:-
Maria (Johannesburg) – 082 920 5305
Sonja (Tshwane) – 082 463 6806
Tembile (CapeTown) – 082 751 2165
Cosmos (Durban) – 082 922 3960
Issued on behalf of United National Transport Union (UNTU) by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer