Truck drivers who are unhappy with their wages or working conditions are increasingly turning to theft (diesel or goods) to supplement their income – but should instead be joining unions “in their numbers” to ensure they have a collective voice in their fight against unfair employers. That’s according to Tabudi Ramakgolo, national road freight coordinator at the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu), who pointed out that that this would also strengthen wage negotiations with the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI). Truck drivers’ working conditions came under the spotlight recently on the SA Long Distance Truckers’ (SALT) Facebook page where a truck driver pointed out that he was not receiving the salary he’d agreed upon with his employer – and nor was he receiving his daily food allowance of R120. He was also not receiving payslips that could be used as proof of his salary. He said he had done in excess of 16 000 kilometres during the month of May, with “good fuel consumption”, no damages and a strong payload. Yet, his monthly salary was less than R10 000 (he was promised R15 000 and a daily food allowance). He said he could not leave his job as he had a wife and children to take care of and he mostly went hungry on his trips because the majority of his wage went towards caring for them. In response to his post, truck drivers aired their grievances – which ranged from the long hours they spent on the road, the constant camera surveillance they were subjected to even as they slept, and the pay by load system. A number of truck operators and f leet owners also weighed in. Most operators said on the SALT page that they paid between R13 000 and R22 000, depending on the distances clocked in a month, the experience of the driver and other aspects such as low fuel consumption and strong payloads. A truck driver added that the R120 daily food allowance, as dictated by the NBCRFLI, was necessary because drivers’ only options for food were cafes and fast food outlets at truck stops and filling stations. A few drivers told FTW confidentially that they had sold diesel to make ends meet in the past and had also considered simply abandoning the truck, with its load, on the side of the road when their employers hadn’t paid them what they thought was fair – or if they were stuck just outside a border at night because of the congestion. “We are targets for criminals who want the diesel, the goods or even the truck. When we get such little pay, sometimes it is easier to just walk away, or give in to criminals’ demands for diesel or goods. That way at least we also benefit,” he said. A local road freight operator told FTW off the record that most truck drivers got “decent wages”, noting that they would be better unionised if this was not the case. “But there are those operators who simply f lout the conditions and wages set by the bargaining council in an effort to make a better profit. And they do exploit their workers who are often foreign nationals desperate for a job and who aren’t in a position to make waves,” he said. Drivers who work for retailers or manufacturing companies who keep their transportation and distribution in-house are not represented by the NBCRFLI, with some drivers reporting on the SALT page that their wages are way below what the bargaining council recommends. This was confirmed recently by Magretia Brown-Engelbrecht, labour relations manager at the Road Freight Association (RFA), who said that the NBCRFLI recommended wages were only applicable, by law, to “operators who transport goods for gain”. This means operators who are contracted to supply a transport or distribution service to a client. “The big retailers who have their own trucks and drivers are excluded from the provisions of the NBCRFLI,” she said, adding that all transport employers who fell under the jurisdiction of the NBCRFLI were currently obligated to comply with the wage rate set by the NBCRFLI. “Non-compliant companies can be reported to the bargaining council if set wage rates are not honoured,” Brown- Engelbrecht pointed out, noting that complaints were subject to an enforcement process.
When we get such
little pay, sometimes
it is easier to just
walk away, or give in
to criminals’ demands
for diesel or goods.
– Truck driver
