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PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORKERS WANT 13.5% COLA BACKDATED

26/03/2024 09:13:00 Stanley Khumalo

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MANZINI – Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi has been accused of conflict of interest in the prolonged cost-of-living (CoLA) adjustment for the public transport sector.

As such, they are demanding that their 13.5 per cent increment, which was awarded at the beginning of the month, should be backdated to August 2023. The public transport workers, who engaged this publication, claimed that it was an anomaly that their increment for last year was being effected in a new year. They claimed that this had resulted in them suffering prejudice, in that they had not received the adjusted salaries in seven months, when the other sectors received theirs. This is because Buthelezi issued a supplementary gazette detailing the minimum wage for the Road Transportation Industry on March 8, 2024, while the other sectors’ increments were effected at the beginning of August 2023.

Benefit

Meanwhile, the Regulation of Wages (Road Transportation Industry) Order 2024, states that those who will benefit are those who work in taxis, kombis, minibuses buses and full body trucks. The gazette states that employees in the sector who are under Grade I, shall have their remuneration reviewed upwards with E301.76 per month. This is because up until the issuance of the supplementary gazette, employees in this category were remunerated E481.10 per week, which tallies E1 924.40 monthly. However, after the 13.5 per cent increment, they shall now be remunerated E556.54 per week, which is equivalent to E2 226.16. These employees are loaders, lorrymate, messengers and general workers. Given this adjustment, the public transport workers, supposed that they were suffering prejudice in that they were losing about E2 112.32 in this grade, due to the increment being effected in March.

They claimed that they wanted to meet with their unions, so that a resolution could be reached, which according to them, was that they would engage in an industrial action. The sources claimed that the public transport workers were claiming that just like all sectors, they were feeling the pinch of the high inflation, which had resulted in a high cost of living. Furthermore, the sources claimed that they believed that Buthelezi was conflicted in that he was also an owner of public transport vehicles, while he was also responsible for issuing a gazette that deprived them of their money, in that it was not backdated. “We are waiting to see if he will increase the salaries of his employees this month, as he has to be exemplary, because he is a minister,” said a source.

Eswatini Kombi and Buses Workers Allied Union (EKABAWU) President Mxolisi Fakudze confirmed that there were reports of public transport workers seeking that they meet in the various towns, to engage on issues of their welfare. He said despite being aware of this issue, nothing had been brought to their attention officially. Fakudze said: “If they want to meet and take a resolution, there is nothing we can say as to oppose them, because we were elected by them to represent their interests.” Fakudze said their concern was that the increment accorded to them was minimal compared to their demand, which they believed would have afforded them a better livelihood. On the allegations levelled against the minister, Fakudze said it was something they had been made aware of and were also keen to see if he would implement the increment at the end of the month as per the gazette. Buthelezi had announced that employees on Grade II, which accommodates personnel such as fuel issuer, tyre man and those driving automobiles of up to 2 000 kilogrammes, were awarded a 13.5 per cent increment.

Hiked

This saw their salary being hiked from E685.50 per week (E2 947.65 per month) to E793.20 per week (E3 172.80 per month). This salary increase is 79.9 per cent lesser than what they had hoped for. On the other hand, kombi drivers of vehicles weighing between 2001kg to 7 000kg shall now be remunerated E848.90 per week, which equates E3 395.60 per month. This is an increment of E115.25 per week, as they were being paid E733.65, which tallies E2 934.60 per month. Those in Grade IV, who are bus drivers carrying 37 to 59 passengers, were earning E760.10 per week (E3 040.40 per month). They shall now earn E879.20 per week, which equates E3 516.80 per month. This is an increment of E476.40 per month.

Clerks, drivers of a vehicle weighing from 12 001 to 200 000kg shall now earn E912.87 per week (E3 651.48) as their salary was reviewed from E789 per week which was E3 156 per month. Senior clerks were earning E796.20 per week (E3 184.80) and shall now be remunerated E3 804.56 per month as weekly they will be paid E951.14. On the other hand, bulk heavy operators who are graded VII shall now earn E6 434 per month as the new salary is E1 608.50 per week. Leading to this, they were paid E1 507.50.