TheDriver February2019

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Reckless trucker kills 11 ELEVENT people died when a reckless truck driver collided head-on with a bakkie on the N11 in Limpopo early on 5 Feb. Witnesses said the driver of an Actros overtook on a barrier line before collided with a Nissan bakkie. The driver of the Nissan bakkie and 1 0 passengers were confirmed dead on the spot. The MEC for Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo, Makoma Makhurupetje warned reckless truckers "their days are numbered" and condemned the practice to overload bakkies. -- DR.

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News to inspire professional drivers of all size vehicles in southern Africa

Foreign driver myth busted FOLLOWING the second wave of trucks burning on the N3 the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union came out in support of the xenophobes who say they are losing jobs to immigrants who work cheap. The transport union said in a statement it "rejects the exploitative practice of hiring drivers from outside South Africa to work for slave wages. The union said it is "gravely worried about the growing tendency" of employers in the road freight sector to hire undocumented foreign nationals in place of skilled South Africans. "Employers do this for the sole purpose of exploiting workers, making them work long hours for very little pay," Satuwu stated, alleging "some of the foreign nationals do not possess the requisite skills; this combined with the long hours behind the wheel leads to a rise in road accidents and fatalities". SATAWU members will protest on 13 Feb with workers from other unions to demonstrate their utter rejection of retrenchments. Ironically, the union's leader, Zenzo Mahlangu was repatria-ted to Zimbabwe after his illegal residency in

Above: Satawu members on the march against foreign drivers, but foreign drivers like Byron (right) say only desperate drivers are willing to accept 'slave wages'.

Photo: File

"foreign drivers" are taking the jobs that belong to "Safricans" by driving 'I don't work cheap' longer hours for less pay. "I Meet Byron, originally from got a call from this guy who Zimbabwe. He spent some needed a driver. of the pittance he earned for He tested me for not even driving sand all day to buy 100 metres, saying 'I see you his wife a small bottle of can drive', and then sent me champagne on Valentine's to get a load of sand some day. His story pulls the rug 270 km away. from the current propaganda "I dropped that sand on site South African drivers after driving all day, and he believe, namely that paid me R300. South Africa came to light in 2017.

"He called again this morning but that money is not enough for the hours and my skills. I'd rather stay home with my love than work for nothing," Byron told The Driver.

Ed's comment: All drivers come from elsewhere. Our fight is for higher wages, not against migrant labour.

February 201 9

Amazon raises driver's pay

WALMART has over 7,000 drivers who on average drive 480 km a day to earn on average $87,500 in their first year of employment. Walmart pays nearly 89 US cents per mile, plus a dollar for reaching the delivery. Working for 89c per mile over 300 miles equals US$267, or R3,683 in South Africa's currency, to deliver containers. Amazon also pay a small pass the gate bonus, just enough to buy a cooldrink in Msanzi. By comparison, container drivers on the N3, South Africa's busiest highway between the port of Durban and the city of Johannesburg get the equivalent of US$0,1 6c, and there is no cooldrink bonus for passing the gate. America fleet operators say they needs at least 50,000 experienced drivers and foreigners from Mexico, Canada and "Safrica" can again apply for temporary work visas. -- DR.


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