Noose tightening on foreign truck drivers

Foreign truck drivers working in SA illegally and those who employ them will soon feel the pressure from new legislation, which puts stricter restrictions on migrants working in this sector. SA truck drivers recently embarked on a nationwide strike demanding that the government and trucking companies prioritise hiring locals over foreign drivers. In response, the Ministries of Labour, Police & Home Affairs jointly said they would be reviewing policies to clamp down on foreign truck drivers working without the necessary permits, including harsher measures against the companies that employ them. The Mail & Guardian reports that this comes after the Department of Transport in April published an amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which will make it illegal to drive a South African-registered truck using a foreign professional driving permit. 'Stricter controls for enforcing South African driving permits on foreign drivers are long overdue, and government should have prioritised this a long time ago,' said Arnoux Maré, the MD of truck driver training and testing centre Innovative Learning Solutions. Gavin Kelly, CEO of The Road Freight Association, noted the Basic Conditions of Employment Act stipulates simple processes for foreigners who have the correct documentation to be employed in SA, but some companies flout them. ‘Had this been properly managed and controlled then we would not be where we are today, where those employers who wish to cut corners, defy legislation and pay wages well below the minimum get away with it,’ he said.