By Olimatou Coker
The General Transport Union and affiliated unions to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) have recently jointly commemorated World Action Week for transport workers around the globe.
Commemorated under the theme, “stand for safe rates save lives”, the day is observed worldwide to remember people working in the transport sector.
Omar Ceesay, the President of the Gambia Transport Union, said as the theme signifies, the general transport union calls for the urgent need for decent work for commercial transport workers in the country and the world at large.
“The socioeconomic significance of transport workers cannot be over-emphasised. This category of workers, especially the drivers, plays a very vital role in the Gambian economy. It is important to highlight that without commercial drivers, daily commuting passengers, goods, and services cannot be delivered in an efficient and reliable manner,” he said.
He added that despite their critical role in the well-being of the country, they still struggle with low wages.
“The plight of commercial drivers is a serious concern as the bulk of the drivers continue to work under unfavourable working conditions. It has been observed that over 95% percent of commercial transport workers in the country do not operate under a decent working environment. Most commercial drivers are paid very low wages or monthly salaries. To make this matter worse, there is no formal contract or social security benefits for them. The most worrying situation is that most of them work overtime. The demanding nature of the work of drivers under hazardous conditions and constant pressure from vehicle owners needs addressing,” he added.
He said itis important to highlight that working overtime under unfavourable conditions only exposes commercial drivers to fatigue, which is a major risk factor for road accidents.
“It is also important to highlight that the road transport sector is strategically essential to social and economic development and ensures passenger and freight mobility across jurisdictions and countries. It makes an important contribution to economic growth and job creation. Road infrastructure investments and operations have strong impacts on other sectors of the economy”.
Therefore, he added, “decent working conditions should be created for commercial transport drivers with the aim of promoting safe rates to save lives on our roads”.
