PRASA safety issues: Metrorail strike scheduled for Friday

A number of PRASA employees are set to hold a strike on Friday, 26 July 2019. The United National Transport Union (UNTU) will hold marches in different cities as the organisation has concerns relating to the safety of employees in an environment where Metrorail security has been missing in action.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, which is affiliated to COSATU, and the National Transport Movement, affiliated to SAFTU, are not supporting this safety strike.

So who is actually striking on Friday and why?

The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) has granted UNTU’s umbrella union; Federation of Union South Africa (FEDUSA) permission to proceed with the strike. FEDUSA has also called for the SANDF to be deployed to safeguard platforms for commuters and for PRASA and Transnet to emerge.

In an enca interview, PRASA chief executive Nkosinathi Sishi stated:

“The strike action should be the last resort because the consequences of the action to the workers themselves is a “no-work, no-pay” standard procedure. It’s a loss to the workers and destroys the relationship that is built between employer and employee. The trust relationships will need to be worked on again. However, it is important for me to say that the strike, is not against PRASA as a business, but the strikers’ concerns are about issues of how as a country we are investing in rail and PRASA. As PRASA, we are affected as the majority of our employees that are members of FEDUSA, will be participating. Particularly those who are train drivers and technical staff closer to the rail functions.

PRASA chief executive Nkosinathi Sishi

Safety is a key issue of this Metrorail strike

PRASA boss agrees that these are serious matters raised by concerned employees and claims that if they could find a way to work together, it could lead to better dispensation for commuters. There are a few safety issues floating up in the air, especially the number of accidents that have occurred in the past few years.

There is capacity for intelligence regarding cable theft and vandalisation of infrastructure amongst other things. The main priority should be safety and service delivery. While allocating funds to the correct spaces to ensure that these come to pass.

In the budget vote speech, by Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni announced that he has a plan regarding PRASA’s woes.

“The energy in the transport sector right now is aligned to optimism that the minister has expressed after he met PRASA and other public entities that report to the ministry of transport. Rail is the backbone of the strategy going forward, the vision of an inter-model system depends on us ensuring efficiency in which we deliver the railway services is improved, particularly the availability of train sets in all our stations, ensuring that those are on time. Most importantly that they are safe.

PRASA chief executive Nkosinathi Sishi