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Posição da página: Home > Revista Transporte Internacional > Issue 38 - January 2010 > Organising in Urban Transport
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The bus system appears to offer a win-win situation for workers and passengers alike. And as the scheme comes into place, new bus drivers are being recruited, presenting an excellent opportunity for unions to organise.
Unfortunately, transport workers are bearing the brunt of opposition to the project. Some taxi owner associations are not supporting the new transport system. Although taxi operators will continue to be involved in the routes, some associations are looking
to gain a wider role and more profit. According to local news reports, there have been a number of violent incidents connected to the introduction of the BRT, including shootings that have injured drivers and passengers.
Trade union SATAWU (South Africa Transport and Allied Workers’ Union) is keen to make the most of the new transport structure. SATAWU has been trying to organise taxi workers for many years, and will continue to do so. At the same time, the union is encouraging taxi drivers to apply for work as bus drivers on the new BRT system.
Taxi drivers could benefit greatly from the new transport infrastructure, as job opportunities open up which offer much better pay and conditions than their current, casualised labour.
For SATAWU then, the new transport system presents an organising opportunity, but also a number of challenges from opponents of public transport and unionisation.
Organising taxi drivers
Oupa Oldjohn is SATAWU’S national chair for the taxi industry. As a taxi driver with 15 years’ experience, he is well versed in the issues facing workers in the industry.
Like others, he has been targeted by the taxi owners for his support for unionisation. As a result he has not worked for two years. His commitment to the BRT system and the programme of recruiting taxi drivers to train and work for BRT has put him on the taxi owner ‘hit list’ but his commitment to the workers’ cause remains unbowed.
Organising taxi drivers is difficult: the workers are often transient and taxi owners victimise unionised workers. Regulations that could benefit workers are not enforced.
Most taxi employers do not pay the unemployment insurance fund levy, despite a legal obligation to do so. As a result, taxi workers who become unemployed are not eligible for the six month unemployment payment that other workers are entitled to.
Many employers also completely ignore the minimum wage for the industry as well as the regulations on hours of work, overtime, leave etc. Inspection and enforcement by the authorities is non-existent.
This is why Oupa is now focused on recruiting taxi drivers into new jobs. Employment in the BRT offers much better pay and conditions.
New opportunities
The organising environment has changed with the introduction of the BRT. New jobs provide a possible exit plan for surplus taxi owners and their workers from the industry.
Already the BRT system has recruited 60 taxi drivers from the routes where the BRT has replaced taxi services, and has retrained them as bus drivers. There are currently 28 buses in service, and the work schedule is organised around two eight-hour shifts. Former taxi workers have also been recruited and retrained as bus despatchers and supervisors. In addition there are approximately 250 station ambassadors, cleaners, and security guards, as well as a category of “temporary paid volunteers.”
When the first phase of the new system is completed to cover 120km of routes, there will be 143 buses in the system, displacing 575 taxis. It is estimated that the first phase will create about 700 permanent regulated jobs. When the system is fully extended to cover 300km of trunk routes, it is calculated that there will be 5415 people employed. This does not include the thousands of people involved in constructing the infrastructure.
One organising problem is that the support workers are employed by sub-contractors on short term contracts, but SATAWU is going to challenge this situation.
Johannesburg city council is conducting a survey amongst taxi drivers affected by the new bus routes, and the union is encouraging workers to participate. The process gives drivers the chance to state their skills level, and what training they might need to meet their future options and the improved standards required for the taxi industry.
At a recent meeting in Johannesburg, activists recognised the fear workers felt about supporting the survey, because of the taxi owners’ opposition to the BRT system. But with support from the union, they hope to get a good response. This is clearly a positive step.
Public transport for the future
Decent public transport is of vital importance to workers and passengers alike. This is why the ITF is fully supporting SATAWU’s efforts to organise in the new transport system. Crucially, the union has succeeded because it is working with taxi drivers from the informal economy, at the same time as supporting the development of a publicly-funded infrastructure. These two goals don’t have to be in conflict, says
Eddie Dickson. “With proper investment, workers and passengers can enjoy a well-functioning public transport system,” says Dickson. “SATAWU’s strong leadership has correctly focused on organising informal workers, while campaigning strongly for a better system.”
Organising workers, and formulating clear political demands is the best option for a better future.
About Bus Rapid TransitBus Rapid Transport (BRT) is basically a cheaper version of an underground rail system, running above ground on rubber wheels.The central feature of a BRT system is that it approximates a rail network, but the vehicles are on rubber tyres. They run along dedicated road lanes – usually, but not necessarily, in the centre of the road. Enclosed ticket “stations” make for safe and rapid movement of passengers on and off vehicles, and timetabling ensures that even at off-peak times, nobody has to wait longer than 10 to 15 minutes for transport. Johannesburg is the first of eight South African cities to introduce this transport system. The project, called Rea Vaya, is part of bigger plans to develop public transport in the city. Phase one of the project is due to be completed in 2013. The South African systems are based on the success of similar schemes in Latin America.The system in Curitiba, Brazil, is a notable example. The introduction of a bus rapid transport system in this city has reduced car use significantly, despite a high level of car ownership among the population. |
Home page da Seção:
Issue 38 - January 2010
Outras páginas para Issue 38 - January 2010:
Respect for Workers | Union Work Improves Dockers' Safety | Fishers Fight Back | An Industry View of the Economic Crisis | The Lebanese Cabin Crew Association | Summer School Success
Outras páginas para Organising in Urban Transport:
Newly organised workers tell their story
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