COSATU strike will only compound service delivery problems

While the Chamber shares Cosatu’s concerns about current socio-economic challenges, we fail to see the benefit of strike action which, in our view, will serve only to compound service delivery problems.

Commuters already hamstrung by higher transport costs due to the public transport crisis are likely to be the ones to count the cost of economic disruption caused by Wednesday’s strike action.

In the Western Cape Cosatu is also planning a picket outside Prasa’s offices to draw attention to the commuter transport crisis in the province. As a Chamber we have been actively drawing attention to transport shortcomings, which go way beyond the implosion of the commuter rail service in the Western Cape. Some of these problems have been exacerbated by Covid-19, and some relate to pre-existing problems with governance within state-owned enterprises.  We believe there is still scope for constructive engagement to resolve some of these issues, no matter how painstaking the delays. 

Cosatu will be aware that the City of Cape Town is pushing for a mandate to take over management of local passenger rail services, and is busy with a feasibility study. We do not share COSATU’S view that there is deadlock within NEDLAC around these issues – the matter is still up for discussion, with national treasury in support of Cape Town’s feasibility study.

Rather than disrupt another working day we urge COSATU, a member of the tripartite alliance, to urge its alliance partners to address mismanagement within their ranks, and to address policy decisions that could resolve transport problems – and broader socio-economic problems -- far more effectively than a day of political grandstanding.