A message circulating on social media from a group calling itself All SA Drivers has sparked panic as it warns of a national shutdown by SA truck drivers.

According to the message, the shutdown is scheduled for April 30.

The truck drivers are embarking on the Road Freight National Shutdown due to some demands they want resolved, which include not having cameras inside the cabs, the employment of foreigners in the trucking industry and the safety of truckers on the roads.

They are also demanding a basic salary of R25 000, the scraping of labour brokers, and for all truck companies to comply with the collective agreement (negotiated between unions and employers representatives at the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry).

Road Freight Association

Road Freight Association’s (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly said the shutdown was an example of how the logistics chain was under constant threatened.

He has urged the organisers of this shutdown to rather address their concerns with the relevant authorities and to assist these authorities in providing details of the non-compliant transport companies so that the necessary relevant action can be taken.

“Collective bargaining exists to ensure negotiated, structured and peaceful resolution to disagreements between employers and employees. ‘Shutdowns’ create long-term, negative consequences to the logistics supply chain and the economy. Jobs are lost. Revenue (both to companies and to employees) is lost. Tax revenue is lost. Business confidence is lost. International trade and investment are lost. Opportunistic crime and violence inevitably occur.”

He said that South African economy and citizens all lose when shutdowns occur and in addition, the complaint trucking companies (operators) are caught up in these activities time and again.

The task team

Kelly said the RFA agrees that the task team which was established in June last year, took longer than expected, but urged truck drivers to find the right solutions that were developed to address the root causes.

The task team was established by the Road and Freight Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to conduct research work and developing a plan of action for the resolution of the challenges affecting the industry as well as to report to the IMC.