As a medium-sized, independent transport company…

….we would like to call upon the Namibian Transport and Allied Workers Union to pay more attention to their members’ needs.

Sadly, we only get to deal with union officials when a driver is dismissed or when there are problems; typically, this is always a matter of trying to solve issues on an ad hoc basis. Most of these problems could be avoided if the drivers were properly trained or encouraged to keep to a specific professional standard.One of the biggest problems facing the industry as a whole is a lack of properly trained drivers.As an operator, you have to entrust millions of dollars to a single person,viz.the driver.Not only is this a huge risk to people like us, but a poorly trained driver is obviously also a huge risk to other road users – and who can put a value on the lives of a young family, using the same road as a poorly trained driver? The risks involved are so huge that it becomes difficult to quantify – but a large measure of this would be removed if you can be sure that your driver is trained to the highest standard.At the same time, we are faced with a chronic unemployment problem.While not every person is suitable as a driver, there must be hundreds of people we could train to become professional, heavy-duty drivers.As transport companies, we are in the business of moving cargo for clients and keeping the wheels of the economy rolling; a drivers’ training program like this should be the responsibility of those who claim they are acting in the drivers’ interest.In South Africa, we are now seeing some efforts to achieve this; but here in Namibia, the union involved (Natau) does not seem to have the wherewithal or interest to act in the interest of their members.What is needed here in Namibia, as a matter of utmost urgency, is professional training and maintaining the highest possible standard among heavy duty drivers.If Natau truly has the interest of their members – and the Namibian society at large – at heart, they will do something about this.Come on, Natau – set up a heavy duty driving academy.It would be a real employment creation effort, in the interest of your members; that way, we could be employing more people, rather than fewer, as is the case at the moment.James Grobler Grobler Transport OkahandjaMost of these problems could be avoided if the drivers were properly trained or encouraged to keep to a specific professional standard.One of the biggest problems facing the industry as a whole is a lack of properly trained drivers.As an operator, you have to entrust millions of dollars to a single person,viz.the driver.Not only is this a huge risk to people like us, but a poorly trained driver is obviously also a huge risk to other road users – and who can put a value on the lives of a young family, using the same road as a poorly trained driver? The risks involved are so huge that it becomes difficult to quantify – but a large measure of this would be removed if you can be sure that your driver is trained to the highest standard.At the same time, we are faced with a chronic unemployment problem.While not every person is suitable as a driver, there must be hundreds of people we could train to become professional, heavy-duty drivers.As transport companies, we are in the business of moving cargo for clients and keeping the wheels of the economy rolling; a drivers’ training program like this should be the responsibility of those who claim they are acting in the drivers’ interest.In South Africa, we are now seeing some efforts to achieve this; but here in Namibia, the union involved (Natau) does not seem to have the wherewithal or interest to act in the interest of their members.What is needed here in Namibia, as a matter of utmost urgency, is professional training and maintaining the highest possible standard among heavy duty drivers.If Natau truly has the interest of their members – and the Namibian society at large – at heart, they will do something about this.Come on, Natau – set up a heavy duty driving academy.It would be a real employment creation effort, in the interest of your members; that way, we could be employing more people, rather than fewer, as is the case at the moment.James Grobler Grobler Transport Okahandja