Mayoral committee member for transport and urban development Brett Herron said the opposition to the City's plans to take over the management of passenger rail service in the province by some trade unions was premature.
United National Transport Union, which is affiliated to the Federation of South African Trade Unions (Fedusa), issued a statement following the council's go-ahead for the City to approach the national Department of Transport for approval and funding in order take over from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
The unions are opposing what they consider “unrealistic plans” to take over the management of the rail service in the province from Metrorail.
The union's general secretary, Steve Harris, said: “They are dreaming about a pie in the sky that has no prospect of success at all.
"We will oppose any application to the Department of Transport to that effect, as it could never be in the best interest of our members to become municipal workers and as the majority union representing 50% of Prasa employees, we cannot imagine why the City thinks the plan would be of any benefit to our members.”
Fedusa cautioned that this “utopian dream” by the City should not be used as a cheap political ploy that fails to address the transport and safety needs of the communities that are most reliant on the system.
But Herron shot back, saying: “We are acting in the best interests of public transport commuters, 95% of whom are from the lowest income families in our city and who are entirely reliant on a functional rail system to access their jobs and other services.
"That system is at risk of collapsing and a responsible, caring government should be expected to act as we are.”
Metrorail had not replied to requests for comment by the time of publication.