SABC News reports that workers at Northwest Transport Investments are calling for the National Department of Transport to intervene after going four months without salaries. The State-Owned Entity (SOE) is facing financial challenges and is under business rescue. It has had long-standing issues including failure to submit annual financial statements, and non-payment of licenses and permits leading to the withdrawal of leased buses.
This has seen the withdrawal of buses in Tshwane, affecting commuters mainly in the areas of Hammanskraal. Workers affiliated with union, SAWU-Ya Bashumi, have handed over a memorandum of demands to the Department of Transport in Pretoria. The union’s Lebusa Mamaregane says the department must prevent the company from going into liquidation. “At least R1.2 billion will be able to rescue this company. The government of the North West gave us R389 million and workers of… the company in general only received R96 million. That R96 million could not settle the total outstanding salaries. That money only paid for four months of salaries.”
by Phumzile Mlangeni