The United National Transport Union (UNTU) has decided to join the South African Police Services (SAPS) with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in its pending application in the Western Cape High Court about the lack of security on the notorious Central Line between Cape Town and Khayelitsha.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says the Union decided to sight the SAPS after an in-depth consultation with its legal team considering the response of PRASA to the Union’s urgent application.
According to PRASA’s response in court papers, it has taken all reasonable steps it can to deal with the increased criminal activities on the Central Line. Richard Walker, regional head of PRASA in the Western Cape, says PRASA is limited in what it can do and the state-owned enterprise must rely on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to counter armed robberies and threats by criminal elements.
Harris says PRASA included 12 photographs in its answering affidavit to illustrate its “difficulty, if not impossibility, of securely controlling entry and egress to train stations, as well as policing access to railway tracks where, when a train stands still, criminal elements take advantage to threaten guards and drivers and rob commuters.”
“PRASA is blaming the SAPS and passing the buck. In the past, the SAPS were clear that they don’t consider it as part of their Constitutional obligation to protect the employees or the assets of PRASA and says the passenger rail company must employ private companies to do the job.
“It is not for UNTU to decide if PRASA is fulfilling its Constitutional obligation towards its employees as an employer, also considering the obligation placed upon it by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. It is also not for UNTU to decide what the police should as PRASA and the SAPS are in dispute about their irrespective roles and obligations. That is why UNTU decided it would be best to bring all parties involved before the Court so that the Court can decide,” says Harris.
UNTU filed the application in May this year asking the Court to force PRASA to protect its members working on the Central Line after repeated violent crime incidents over the last year.
The Union asked the Court to direct PRASA to establish an armed mobile reaction unit whose members would be stationed at Netreg, Mitchells Plain and Chris Hani stations. UNTU also ask the Court to order PRASA to establish a joint task team comprised of the Union, other representative unions and the police to develop a long-term strategy for commuter safety in PRASA.
According to PRASA it has complied with UNTU’s request in July after it appointed 56 armed guards on the Central Line to escort train divers and Metro guards.
Harris differs. The current contract for the armed guards expires after three months. The armed guards are also not trained in the handling of public violence that erupts and results in violent rampages and the torching of train coaches when there are delays.
The joinder application will be served on the SAPS shortly.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Statements phone 082 463 6806 or e-mail sonja@untu.co.za.
