Cosatu Threat Over Metrorail Increases in South Africa

Published on Monday 22nd March 2010

Cosatu has threatened to "bring the economy to a standstill", if Metrorail carries out plans to increase train fares on April 1.

The fare increase, the first since 2003, will see customers paying between R40 and almost R100 more than the current prices for a Metroplus monthly ticket.

The Cape Argus reported earlier this week that Metrorail had blamed the increase on rising operational costs and the slashing of its government subsidy.

In a statement released on Thursday, Cosatu expressed outrage at the increases and threatened strike action if the price hike wasn't cancelled.

"Cosatu will reinstate the section 77 notice that gives members the right to bring the economy to a standstill should Metrorail continue with these ill considered increases," the union warned.

Tony Ehrenreich, the Cosatu Western Cape provincial secretary, explained that the Labour Relations Act gave unions the right to strike, even if the dispute was not directly related to work affairs.

"The act gives unions the right to strike around socio-economic issues," he said. "And public transport is a key area that workers are interested in."

The union said they opposed the increases for a number of reasons, including the reduction in Metrorail service levels, overcrowding on trains and because the increases should have been introduced gradually, rather than in a large lump sum. The increases have been calculated by distance and Cosatu said this meant the greatest impact would be on the poor.

"The way they calculate the cost of a ride seeks to hold poor people responsible for having been housed far from the areas of work, so they are charged more for the length of a ride.

"The increases are way in excess of the inflation rate and will have a greater impact on poorer communities."

The increases, the union added, would "compound the desperation" already caused by the rising price of energy and other forms of transport.

"This is an entirely unsatisfactory situation and, coming on top of the Eskom increases, as well as the taxi and bus increases, poses a huge challenge to commuters."

Cosatu warned that "the working class cannot carry any further burden of these price hikes across all areas".