Harbour carrier truck drivers at the Port of Durban are working extended hours to make a living, said to be exacerbated by nagging delays from the Navis booking system used to award slots to operators.
One such operator who spoke to Freight News on condition of anonymity, said the pressure transporters were supposed to work under affected companies all the way down from executive level.
Whereas company owners are battling to stay afloat against a booking system that continues to cause delays, and which is blamed for enabling corruption, many drivers prefer not to comply with regulations set down by the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI).
“It comes down to making a decent living,” the operator said.
“Drivers can choose to work according to what the Bargaining Council say, which means they have to comply with set working hours and the payment of deductions” – fees charged by the NBCRFLI to fund industry-specific functions such as dispute resolution, training, sector development, and industry protection funds.
Shift work and council compliance generally mean that drivers earn R14 000 a month, the operator said, “which is not a livable wage”.
Instead of paying council deductions, usually calculated as a percentage of wages or fixed weekly levies, drivers are opting to work “on a production basis”.
“It means they get paid per box, which could earn them up to R22 000 a month if they do about 100 containers in a month – but the hours are very long.”
In the current operating environment, it can take up to 18 hours or more to utilise one slot opportunity, provided nothing else happens to cause further delays down the logistics chain.
“I know of a truck fleet whose drivers work three-week periods to earn as much as possible through the amount of boxes they can collect, only taking off work every third weekend.”
The operator said it was unfortunate that drivers had to work like that, but harbour carriers were taking strain against the Navis system, which they say has never worked like it should.
Slot-booking delays, connectivity problems, related technical issues such as systems resetting, and the apparent exploitative behaviour of unscrupulous fleet controllers that over-book appointments to privately offer them for sale, are but some of the complaints harbour carriers continue to raise.
“The problem is that the booking system isn’t working, and it never has,” the operator said, and it is certainly not the first time that a harbour carrier has made this claim.
“Controllers have found a way to exploit the system, and we continue to bring it to the attention of Transnet, but nothing happens.”
- This is a developing story in which Freight News is investigating allegations of booking-slot corruption, and delays related to the Navis system. Various reports on the topic have been published in the recent past. Freight News will endeavour to seek clarity and comment from the NBCRFLI and Transnet.
