ActionSA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature demands that every notice of dismissal issued to Gautrain feeder bus drivers employed by Mega Express be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. We call on the MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, to intervene now to make sure not a single driver loses their job over this matter.
The workers were issued with notices of dismissal following a work stoppage at the Midrand and Pretoria depots. The company’s own correspondence confirms that the dispute arose over outstanding operating licences. It also states that the company has been “working with the Provincial Government” to resolve them.
In plain terms, buses on Gautrain’s feeder network have been on the road without the licences the law requires. The authority responsible for issuing those licences is the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport. The drivers are being punished for a failure that belongs to the operator and the province.
Mega Express has assured workers in writing that they will not be held liable for penalties linked to the missing licences. ActionSA believes that assurance amounts to an admission that the vehicles are not compliant. A company promise is no substitute for the law, and it does not protect a driver stopped at a roadblock.
ActionSA has written to the MEC, the Gautrain Management Agency and the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport.
We have asked them to:
- Disclose how many Gautrain feeder buses are operating without valid operating licences, and for how long;
- Fast-track the issuing of all outstanding licences, with a clear timeline;
- Require, through the GMA as contracting authority, that the operator withdraw all notices of dismissal, with no loss of pay, benefits or service record for any worker;
ActionSA will also request an urgent briefing from the GMA to the Portfolio Committee and an oversight visit to the Midrand depot.
The province has just appointed a new Gautrain concessionaire for the next fifteen years. It cannot announce a new era for the Gautrain while the workers who keep it running are fired over the province’s own administrative failures. ActionSA will insist that the new concession protects these workers and that every vehicle on the network is fully licensed.
ActionSA stands with the affected workers. We will accept nothing less than the full withdrawal of every dismissal notice. If the operator proceeds, ActionSA will raise the matter in the house and hold the MEC and the GMA accountable.
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