The government must come to the party in a form of subsidies if they want us to afford the current minimum wages or any increment thereof in the taxi industry sector, a thundery gathering heard during the last round of public briefings in Polokwane (Limpopo) on Tuesday.

Scores of industry role players told a public hearing organised by the Department of Labour to review the taxi industry’s wages and other conditions of employment that “the only way out of this fiasco is for the government to forward a helping hand.”

One taxi owner, who represented the Mphebatho Taxi Association in Limpopo, forwarded an input to the hearing saying that issues such as demarcation model where for those people residing in metropolitan areas would be considered for this minimum wage and those of us residing in non-metropolitan should be exempted.

Notable Taxi Associations also present during the briefing included Sekgosese, Re Gona, Maja-Chuene, Mamata, Mehlareng, Marothong, Polokwane-Tembisa, amongst the others. 

A Taxi driver, who appealed for anonymity for fear of victimisation, said “we go all out, day and night to enrich the selected few, yet we are not getting anything in return.

Some of us still live below the breadline; the conditions of employment are atrocious and we are unable to afford anything. Government must really intervene on this matter so that we are put on par with other employees from other sectors.”

Another taxi owner, who represented Peace Taxi Association, dug in his hills on his stance and even threatened to opt out of the industry. We reside in deep rural areas where a driver cashes in about R8 000 per month and we pay about R10 000 per month, yet I am expected to pay the minimum wage of R 2449 per month, “and this could lead to great job losses in the country if we opt out.”

Mogodi Masenya, Assistant Director of employment standards in the department, said the purpose of the hearing was to gather inputs from the stakeholders which will be escalated to the Employment Conditions Commission-the body that advises the Minister on wages and other conditions of employment. This will enable the Minister to make a final determination.

The public hearings took place in Jane Furse, Modimolle, Tzaneen and Thohoyandou.