Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) commuter omnibus drivers in Bulawayo have written to the local management and kombi owners lamenting the delays in the payment of their salaries and further deteriorating working conditions.
This comes barely a month after the same drivers staged a sit-in protest against salary arrears and poor working conditions.
In a letter which was delivered to the ZUPCO management and owners association, Thursday, the drivers complained about their working conditions that continue to deteriorate.
“We write to you to raise our concerns as stakeholders and major players in this initiative, ZUPCO Franchise,” said the drivers.
“We have noticed that we are slowly going back to the unfortunate standoff where we have a backlog of pay-outs. We raise this with disappointment because we were made to believe pay-outs will be done on time but that is proving to be an impossible gesture.”
The disgruntled drivers also bemoaned the cumbersome process of refuelling vehicles which they said was slow and draining.
“Our suggestion is to refuel any time of the day or better still use the 11am-3pm refuelling schedule which we have used before to ease congestion in the evening,” they said.
They added that they had noticed with concern “the questionable way of dispatching commuter omnibus” whereby some kombis go for three to four days without being dispatched, adding their knock off time was unreasonable.
“Our fellow brothers are working at night (ferrying staff) then do a certain number of trips with a ‘fixed’ amount of revenue, at the end of it all they knock off at odd hours yet they’ll have to come back again in the evening,” they decried.
“Most of the factors above all lead to fatigue which in turn may result in ineffectiveness and inefficient carrying out of normal duties. We therefore ask your respected office to urgently look and resolve these sticking issues as a matter of urgency,”
They also implored management to address the issue of the shortage of conductors.
