Taxi drivers ‘need to join bus strike’

Saftu spokesperson Patrick Craven says they want to reach out to the taxi drivers, who are even more exploited than the bus drivers.

Commuters line up at a minibus taxi rank in Soweto, 18 April 2018, as a national bus strike left them stranded. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

The SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) said yesterday it needed taxi drivers, who are often even more exploited than bus drivers, to join them as they intensify the nationwide bus strike following a deadlock at wage hike talks.

The five unions involved in the strike called for the intervention of Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande after Minister of Labour Mildred Olifant could not break the deadlock in the more than three-month-old wage talks on Tuesday.

Saftu spokesperson Patrick Craven said: “In principle, we do need the taxi industry to come on board, and Santaco is an organisation of taxi owners, so they are the employer and they are in a different position from the actual drivers.

“We want to reach out to the taxi drivers who are even more exploited than the bus drivers, so they clearly have a common interest in standing together.

“To have a complete shutdown of public transport would undoubtedly impact on the economy. We are in talks with some taxi organisations and we plan to step that up.”

Also read: Taxis, trucks, mineworkers to join bus strike – Saftu

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