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- Two unions have slammed the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa's troubled bus operator Autopax over the suspension of services and late or short salary payments.
- The unions say Prasa is not considering filling vacancies using those who accepted voluntary severance packages.
- The unions said Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula must update them on the fate of the bus operator.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union on Wednesday slammed Prasa's troubled bus operator Autopax over the suspension of services and late or short salary payments, ahead of a protest march to the company's offices.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, Satawu and Numsa said they were shocked to learn all operations at Autopax would be suspended as of Thursday, as management had given no explanation.
The unions marched to the Johannesburg headquarters of the company, which has been plagued by financial challenges and labour turbulence in recent years.
Earlier this year, 350 Autopax employees were affected by a divisionalisation process undertaken by Prasa to save on costs. Prasa CEO Zolani Matthews said at the time that the process had been on the cards even before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Autopax employees have more than once faced salary payments that were late or short as the company battled financially.
"We keep being told that Autopax is in financial distress, but this company does not struggle to find passengers. Our members who are drivers make thousands of trips and the buses are always full. It is very clear to us that Autopax is collapsing because of mismanagement," the statement said.
The statement said the retrenchment process in terms of section 189 of the Labour Relations Act at Autopax had to be suspended because the management could not fund the voluntary severance packages. It added that more than 300 vacant positions at Prasa could be filled with workers from Autopax.
"Our members are going through a very difficult time. They did not get increases this year. On top of that, Autopax has failed to keep up with statutory deductions which means that the provident fund has not been paid, and now that the service has been suspended, their future is uncertain," the statement said.
The statement added that employees deserved answers from Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula regarding the future of Autopax. They said had Mbalula promised to workers that he would fix Autopax and root out mismanagement.
"[O]ur members are fed up with the situation," the statement said, adding that members intended on Thursday to hand over a memorandum to Mbalula, as well as to Prasa and Autopax management.
Prasa spokesperson Bane Ndlovu said on Thursday that while engagements were continuing with staff, no response had been received yet. The non-payment of salaries was part of the engagements with the Department of Transport and could not be commented on, Ndlovu added.
"The cost structures are too high, staff structures will have to be right-sized. [The] section 189 process had almost been finalised, the fleet is obsolete and not economical to operate and the operating model [is not] efficient," said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said the approved business plan by the board, submitted to the Department of Transport, requires funding which forms part of the department's engagement.
"There are no guarantees in this respect," Nldovu said regarding the potential impact of the march on the Autopax business.
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