Cape Town - The Tip Trans Cape company has come to a standstill after its truck drivers refused to work because of a long-term dispute between them and their employers.
Represented by their unions, the group of men were gathered outside the gate during their supposed working hours.
Situated in Malmesbury Road, Klipheuwel, the company saw no movement today as its staff members chanted outside, carrying placards with messages such as “Injury on duty must be paid”, “Removal of camera in the cab”, “Registered in BEE but we don’t benefit” and “We want BEE money now”.
Representing the workers, the general secretary of Transport Freight and General Workers Union (TFGWU), Bethuel Maake, highlighted that what they were doing was a peaceful strike that demanded co-operation from the employers to sit at the table with the employees and listen to their grievances.
“Prior to this day, on Thursday last week, we sent a 72-hour notice to the company informing them about the strike. What we have done is to narrow down the amount of grievances the workers have against them and present only five to monitor their co-operation.
“Among other things, the drivers have issues with the cameras that are installed in the trucks. Those cameras are on their faces, with every movement they do they’d hear cameras going off, disturbing their driving.
“Another thing, we as the union had an agreement with the former HR of the company, but due to that agreement they fired him and now the bosses claim not to recognise us, meanwhile we have proof as the money was deducted from the employees’ payslips going towards the union,” Maake said.
TFGWU deputy secretary Immanuel Bobela said: “Unfortunately, the workers can’t speak to the media as they fear that whatever they say will be used against them.
“What the bosses of this place are doing is exploitation. They can’t refuse to listen to their staff members and come around to say what is happening here is illegal. The law is very simple, what is happening on the left must also happen on the right. They refuse to listen and the staff refuse to work.”
Commenting on behalf of the company, Jaco Roux initially said the company could only comment after a court case set for 12pm yesterday, but when the time had come and gone he said he could only respond once they’d had a chat with the employees.
siviwe.melapi@inl.co.za