Taxi strike ends in standoff
After a peaceful start to the first day of the Namibia Transport and Taxi Union's (NTTU) taxi strike yesterday for which more than 100 members showed up in the early morning hours, relations with the police became frayed around lunchtime.
By the end of the strike yesterday afternoon, around 40 taxis had been towed from the scene and one man was arrested for obstruction of justice.
The strike had been called by NTTU president Werner Januarie to call attention to a number of unmet demands taxi drivers had made to the authorities over the past few years, including steep traffic fines, lack of taxi ranks, lack of control of illegal drivers, low fares and more.
At approximately 10:00 yesterday morning, the ministry of works and transport sent deputy permanent secretary Kenapeta Kauaria to the parking space adjacent to the City Police headquarters in Windhoek to receive a memorandum containing the taxi drivers' grievances and demands. After Januarie had read the NTTU memorandum, in which he emphasised that the union had secured tentative finances from South Africa to take legal action should the authorities continue to ignore their grievances, he insisted that the ministry respond within two hours.
Januarie's message highlighted several past occasions at which the NTTU had tried to negotiate on behalf of members, but without a noteworthy response from the authorities. Another issue he addressed in the letter were “unjust” traffic fines, much-needed fare hikes and recognition of taxi drivers and their representative union by the ministry of transport.
The last demand was that all past issues brought to the attention of authorities should receive “speedy solutions”.
Simon Erastus, who has worked as a taxi driver for more than four years, told Namibian Sun that he joined the strike to demand reduced traffic fines and more taxi ranks.
He said the high traffic fines made life difficult for drivers, who received fines amounting thousands of dollars despite their earnings being too low to afford the fines. He said too few traffic ranks “forced” drivers to stop illegally to pick up customers.
“Why can they build bus stops, but they can't build more taxi ranks,” Erastus and several colleagues said.
Another taxi driver explained that on average, an operator makes around N$350 per day.
“You sweat to make that kind of money, and you compete with foreigners, illegal drivers and buses. It's very hard.”
A little standoff
Following several hours of no response from the ministry, Namibian Sun was informed several taxi operators left the grounds but those who remained decided to drive in convoy to the works and transport ministry to wait for a response there.
In response, City Police officers cordoned off the two exits from the municipal headquarters and warned drivers not to leave in convoy to the ministry, as they had not received the official go-ahead.
Some taxi drivers then blocked the street with their cars, to which the police responded by ordering tow trucks to begin towing taxis away.
At least 40 cars were towed away and riot police were called to the scene to force protesting taxi drivers to peacefully return to the parking lot where the strike had begun.
Eventually, Januarie and his deputies were seen entering the City Police headquarters to meet with the top brass.
By the time of going to print, NTTU had not yet notified the media of the next step in this strike action.
Last month, the NTTU warned that unless their demands were met, the strike would continue indefinitely.
JANA-MARI SMITH
By the end of the strike yesterday afternoon, around 40 taxis had been towed from the scene and one man was arrested for obstruction of justice.
The strike had been called by NTTU president Werner Januarie to call attention to a number of unmet demands taxi drivers had made to the authorities over the past few years, including steep traffic fines, lack of taxi ranks, lack of control of illegal drivers, low fares and more.
At approximately 10:00 yesterday morning, the ministry of works and transport sent deputy permanent secretary Kenapeta Kauaria to the parking space adjacent to the City Police headquarters in Windhoek to receive a memorandum containing the taxi drivers' grievances and demands. After Januarie had read the NTTU memorandum, in which he emphasised that the union had secured tentative finances from South Africa to take legal action should the authorities continue to ignore their grievances, he insisted that the ministry respond within two hours.
Januarie's message highlighted several past occasions at which the NTTU had tried to negotiate on behalf of members, but without a noteworthy response from the authorities. Another issue he addressed in the letter were “unjust” traffic fines, much-needed fare hikes and recognition of taxi drivers and their representative union by the ministry of transport.
The last demand was that all past issues brought to the attention of authorities should receive “speedy solutions”.
Simon Erastus, who has worked as a taxi driver for more than four years, told Namibian Sun that he joined the strike to demand reduced traffic fines and more taxi ranks.
He said the high traffic fines made life difficult for drivers, who received fines amounting thousands of dollars despite their earnings being too low to afford the fines. He said too few traffic ranks “forced” drivers to stop illegally to pick up customers.
“Why can they build bus stops, but they can't build more taxi ranks,” Erastus and several colleagues said.
Another taxi driver explained that on average, an operator makes around N$350 per day.
“You sweat to make that kind of money, and you compete with foreigners, illegal drivers and buses. It's very hard.”
A little standoff
Following several hours of no response from the ministry, Namibian Sun was informed several taxi operators left the grounds but those who remained decided to drive in convoy to the works and transport ministry to wait for a response there.
In response, City Police officers cordoned off the two exits from the municipal headquarters and warned drivers not to leave in convoy to the ministry, as they had not received the official go-ahead.
Some taxi drivers then blocked the street with their cars, to which the police responded by ordering tow trucks to begin towing taxis away.
At least 40 cars were towed away and riot police were called to the scene to force protesting taxi drivers to peacefully return to the parking lot where the strike had begun.
Eventually, Januarie and his deputies were seen entering the City Police headquarters to meet with the top brass.
By the time of going to print, NTTU had not yet notified the media of the next step in this strike action.
Last month, the NTTU warned that unless their demands were met, the strike would continue indefinitely.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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