Well, well, well. They are at it again. An illegal strike by the Gautrain bus drivers is currently crippling the service to a great degree.

Not long ago, they also had a strike, and demanded that they receive transport from home to work and back home when their shifts are completed. That time, strike was a legal strike, but the outcome was not favorable for the strikers. Their demands were not met. It is a logistical nightmare to arrange something like that – I do not blame the Gautrain management for not giving in to that demand.

In my opinion, the best that the Gautrain management could’ve done was to give them a pay raise so that they could pay their transport – and in effect they would’ve had the transport they demanded, but the problem with this approach is, that should they NOT use the increase to pay for their transport, but on other needs, a month or two later, they will still demand it, because now they do not have transport, due to their wage increase being used for something else than what it was intended for.

With a reference to my previous post of today, regarding the fact that affirmative action is in favor of a majority with complete political control, I have to ask the following question: 18 years after apartheid, and with so many public sector jobs occupied by black people, why do only black people demand things like this? I have never heard of a strike where white people demanded transport to and from home! I have not ever demanded that. Actually, I have never even gone on a strike. A friendly 4 hour protest once in my own time, yes, but not a strike in the time that I am supposed to be working!

Where will this end? Let’s say that the Gautrain management give in to these demands. What will they demand tomorrow? A green leprechaun hat with a pink flower on? If they don’t get it, will they do another strike?

Ridiculous!