Johannesburg - Unions in the transport sector are calling for better working conditions for long-distance bus drivers.
This comes after a fatal bus collision that involved an Intercape bus and another bus in the Western Cape this month. The resting periods for long-distance bus and truck drivers have been a controversial point between unions and employers in the bus sector.
Anele Kiet, the deputy general secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), said the working conditions for long-distance bus drivers were not only dangerous for the bus drivers themselves but for passengers too.
"Our outcry is that bus drivers should not drive long distances without having rest periods in between. We are now starting to see incidents of this nature increasing (bus accidents), while the employers are not willing to listen," Kiet said.
Kiet said that Satawu proposed that the sector should ensure there are two drivers on a 24-hour shift.
"While the other one is resting, the other one should continue with the journey. The reality is that we acknowledge the fact that if you are on duty, even if you are resting, as long as the vehicle is moving, you will not be able to rest enough. We have been engaging the Department of Labour to intervene on these issues," Kiet added.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) also weighed in on the matter. According to the union, long-distance bus drivers struggle with issues such as medical aid. The other problem was that the driver was not paid for rest periods.
"There is an issue of unpaid breaks; they wake up early in the morning to start work; they are only paid if they are driving; the second driver in the bus is not being paid," Numsa’s Mduduzi Nkosi said.
Fatigue has been identified as the leading cause of road accidents involving long-distance bus drivers. Unions have accused the owners of bus companies of maximising profits at the cost of people’s lives. Unions were now expected to force the government to force bus companies to force employers to improve the working conditions of bus drivers.
The Star