The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) is calling on road freight and logistics companies to stop employing undocumented foreign nationals as truck drivers.
The union says it is unacceptable that employers overlook qualified unemployed local truck drivers in favour of foreign nationals in an attempt to cut costs.
Satawu General Secretary Jack Mazibuko says greater collaboration among unions, the Departments of Labour, Home Affairs and Police is necessary to fight against the employment of undocumented foreigners.
Mazibuko says, “There is no justifiable reason from the employers’ side that are employing these undocumented foreigners other than wanting to under pay them, trying to cut the costs at the expense of the workers and majority of these companies even run away from belonging to the bargaining council because they don’t want to comply with the council’s minimum wage.”
“So this type of conduct by these employers is really not assisting the country to eradicate unemployment in our country. So it’s impacting workers and South Africa generally negatively,” he adds.
PODCAST | Interview with Mazibuko on SA FM’s First Take Programme:
