The interministerial committee on the trucking and logistics industry on Monday released an 11-point ‘action plan’ in the hopes of eradicating truck blockades on SA’s roads, such as those experienced last week when routes in several provinces were ...
South African truck drivers and emerging industry players have for the past five years periodically used articulated trucks to blockade routes while demanding that South African drivers and emerging players be prioritised over foreigners. They say they are shunned by SA employers because of demanding decent wages, while foreigners work for a pittance.
Industry players — who are part of a task team to quell the blockades — met on Sunday to thrash out an 11-point action plan and on Monday joined the ministers of transport, home affairs, labour and police at a press briefing, where a compact was signed “to achieve some measure of stability within the road freight and trucking industry”.
Trucks travel through Van Reenen’s Pass on the N3 on 16 June 2022, after the road was opened to traffic. Protests in the area had earlier blocked the national road in both directions. While addressing the briefing, Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said the ministers had noted Kelly’s concerns over the introduction of operating licences. “We have agreed that further engagements will continue [on this matter] in this forum to come with solutions.” But, he said, issues of transformation were non-negotiable.