Union on a collision course over torched trains

The South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union lashed out at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa yesterday for accusing its members of torching six trains in Johannesburg.

Satawu said in a statement it opposed criminal activity of any kind, and for Prasa to implicate it in arson was a direct attack on the union. The union had protested peacefully and did not condone burning trains, said Satawu general secretary Zenzo Mahlangu.

"We publicly call on the police to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against the perpetrators," he said.

Prasa said yesterday that six trains were torched on Wednesday by striking workers. The arsonists were incited by the trade union, it said. Five men had been arrested for starting the fires.

The union said Prasa's allegations deflected attention away from its own mismanagement.

It called for an investigation of Prasa's books for the past five years and for an investigation into corruption allegations against its management.

"The violation of supply chain systems has resulted in the depletion of rolling stock materials [train sets components]," Mahlangu said.

This situation had compelled Prasa to strip components from train sets and use them to fix other train sets and keep them in operation, he said.

Using the union as a scapegoat would not stop the rot within, Mahlangu said.

He called on Satawu members to behave impeccably and to not give Prasa cause to blame them.