Tollgates workers on strike, motorists pass for free

If you are a motorist and using any of these tollgates, N1 South Grasmere Plaza to Free State, N4 Magalies towards Rustenburg and N2 from Mthunzini to Othangathi, you may not need to pay the tollgate fare.

Members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) employed by Intertoll Africa, a subsidiary of Group 5, have embarked on a national strike today. This is after Satawu issued a 48-hour notice of strike to the employer on Friday.

Satawu said this was “a last resort to protracted and difficult wage negotiations that started late last year” and that the company failed to implemented a negotiated wage deal on a March, which was agreed to last year.

Satawu members at the three tollgates were demanding a minimum wage of R7 000 a month for toll collectors, administrators and cleaners. Intertoll Africa is reportedly offering only R3 970. Supervisors are demanding a minimum of R11 000 against the employer’s R7 066.

In statement, Satawu said the majority of workers are currently paid R2 900.

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The transport union members are also demanding six months’ maternity leave at full pay, while the group subsidiary is offering them three months at 75%. Their demand for annual leave of 25 days and medical aid cover to be extended to family has also not been met.

“Intertoll wants annual leave to remain unchanged at 18 days, and has flatly rejected the demand for medical aid cover extension,” Satawu said.

“At the root of workers’ disgruntlement is the disproportionate distribution of the company’s takings. On an ordinary day, a worker collects R20 000 on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency [Sanral].

“Intertoll workers collected R1.6 billion for the 2016/2017 financial year. That same year, six executives took home a staggering R18 million each, including guaranteed bonuses of a R3 million a head,” said Zanele Zanele Sabela, Satawu media officer.

The Citizen was unable to get a comment from Intertoll Africa, as the Group 5 reception employee insisted they were not allowed to give out landline numbers of managers. Their response will be published if or when received.