Calls for fully operational railways will benefit working class, says Cosatu

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Western Cape on Wednesday said that its call for the railways to be fully operational was in the best interest of the working class.

With rising fuel costs, the union said workers could no longer afford to travel by other means of transport.

The Passenger Railway Agency of South Africa (Prasa)’s problematic rail services have been well documented in the Western Cape, after years of vandalism and theft.

This has led to many people opting to travel by bus or taxis which are more costly alternatives.

Cosatu marched to Cape Town Station to speak to Prasa bosses.

The trade union federation said workers have been forced to give up their jobs due to costly transportation prices.

Trains have been far cheaper, but since services on the busy central line are not fully functional, many workers resort to taking other modes of transport.

Prasa’s group CEO David Mphelo said progress had been made towards fixing the rail infrastructure. He has urged residents to work together with the state-owned entity: “Prasa’s recovery journey also requires all of us. The security of our assets and infrastructure also requires labour to rally behind us, and make sure that we protect that which we are busy recovering”.

Cosatu said it will hear from Prasa, on a way forward, failing which it could stage another protest in the future.

RESOLVING SECURITY CONCERNS

The rail agency has already elaborated on some of its plans. Safeguarding the rail network remains a key priority, in turning around train services, in parts of the country – and private security will play a role.

Prasa has been battling to protect its assets against vandalism and theft, due to a lack of security measures.

Criminals have mostly targeted cables and this has disrupted rail operations for years. The beleaguered state-owned entity has also faced several legal battles, brought by security companies, who’ve claimed that they were not paid for services rendered.

Besides cable theft, sabotage has also been an issue in Cape Town with dozens of trains torched over the years. Prasa board chair Leonard Ramatlakana has told Cosatu demonstrators that they were resolving security concerns.

More than 1,300 security guards will be tasked with protecting rail infrastructure in the Western Cape.

-EWN

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