[sustran] Public Transport Crisis in South Africa

[Eric Bruun]

AFP wrote:
> 
> 
>    JOHANNESBURG, July 12 (AFP) - South Africa's state transport
> company, Transnet, on Monday posted losses of 462 million rand (75
> million dollars), amid reports of a massive jobs cutback.
>    Transnet managing director Saki Macozoma blamed the company's
> dismal performance in the 1998-99 financial year on losses at the
> company's subsidiaries, including its rail arm Spoornet.
>    He said the company, which last year posted a 45 million dollar
> profit but has shed some 17,000 jobs in recent years, was forced to
> downsize and privatise loss-making sectors.
>    Spoornet, Africa's biggest rail operator, has lost 140 million
> rand (23 million dollars), SABC public radio reported, and will have
> to shed between 18,000 and 27,000 jobs.
>    Autonet has made a loss of 74 million rand (12 million dollars)
> and will have to privatise its bus services, Macozoma said.
>    Hundreds of rail workers gathered in Johannesburg on Monday to
> march to Transnet headquarters to protest at the impending job cuts,
> ahead of a planned mass march by some 40,000 rail workers scheduled
> for July 20.
>    Powerful trade union federation COSATU has described impending
> retrenchment plans as "a serious crisis of major and hazardous
> proportions."
>    The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has vowed to
> embark on a programme of radical labour action until Spoornet
> shelves the retrenchment plans.
>    Reports on Monday said the labour federation will ask its
> alliance partners, the ruling African National Congress and the
> South African Communist Party, to intervene and stop the process.
> 

-- 
Alex Welte			Home	(215) 747-5596
Dept of Physics & Astronomy    	Office	(215) 898-8491
209 S 33rd Street		fax	(215) 898-2010
Philadelphia
PA 19104-6396			alex at sgimess.physics.upenn.edu