Tow truck strike over rates
IN TOW: Motorcade to the AA’s office in Bellville. Picture supplied
Frustrated tow truck drivers from all over the Kaap gathered outside the Automobile Association (AA) offices in Bellville while fellow drivers from Jozi and Durban also joined in on the strike action over their rates.
Shafiek Davids, owner of SNB Towing, said the drivers have grown gatvol of issues caused by the AA and started their strike with a motorcade of over 100 vehicles from Hanover Street to the association’s offices in Bellville to hand over a memorandum.
“For the last 10 years now, we have been fighting with the AA over issues regarding our work.
“The problem is they are cherry picking insurance jobs for their drivers and giving us the offcuts or the jobs their people do not want to do.
“This means we have to do jobs in dangerous areas during late hours,” he says.
Shafiek, who has been in the industry for 26 years, said there was an issue with the AA rates.
“For example, if the job is R3 000 then we will only get about R1 200 out of it, which is just not enough considering all the costs involved.
“When we go out to an accident, we must take the client home and then take the car to whatever yard the insurance company tells us to.”
A memorandum was delivered which the AA confirmed they received.
AA spokesperson Layton Beard said: “The memorandum was accepted and will be addressed...
“The association was aware the strike was going to happen, which is their constitutional right, while we have been in negotiations with the tow truck drivers over the last few years.
“Since the start of this year, we have increased our rates three times so we are doing what we can to resolve these issues in a timely manner.”