Business Day
*Cosatu’s opportunism* *Editorial, Business Day, Johannesburg, 19 April 2012 *THE Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (Cosatu’s) decision to call a national strike on April 30, in protest against the introduction of tolls on Gauteng’s highways, smacks of political opportunism.
Although there are certainly good reasons to object to the manner in which the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has chosen to implement its e-tolling system, Cosatu has yet to suggest a workable alternative. The user pays principle is sound, as this paper has consistently argued. However, the punitive rates Sanral has introduced for road users who do not buy e-tags — almost double the discounted rate — are an unfair strong-arm tactic that should be reversed.
Exempting public transport from the tolls was a significant concession, but it is reasonable to demand that the bus rapid transport system in particular be improved to ensure that those who cannot afford to pay the toll fees have an alternative means of commuting.
Exemptions to road users representing charities and other organisations whose service to society might otherwise be compromised are justifiable too.
These issues aside, it is clear that the strike call is an attempt by Cosatu to leverage a social issue for its own political gain. The fact that April 30 lies between a long weekend and another public holiday on May 1 means many people will be looking for an excuse not to work, or will already have the day off.
Consequently, the probable success of the stayaway will allow Cosatu to claim massive support and boost its standing in the governing alliance in the run-up to the African National Congress’s national conference in Mangaung later this year.
This is not the first time Cosatu has taken advantage of the groundswell of opposition to the introduction of e-tolling. Earlier this year it called a strike to protest against e-tolls, but conflated the issue with its campaign against labour broking, muddying the waters.
In examining Cosatu’s real motive one needs to ask who exactly will feel the effects of the strike most. The biggest losers will surely be private businesses, not the government. The introduction of tolls will increase business costs, but so will traffic congestion and the sky-high vehicle maintenance bills arising from crumbling infrastructure.
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