Trains traumatise workers

Carol Paton’s column was powerful and insightful (“Hypocrite Nzimande does not care about the working class”, April 16).

However, she misses one vital point that is being experienced by small businesses across the country. In essence, when the staff of small businesses eventually arrive at work, they are tired and irritable, often in shock and unable to start work upon arrival. Most workers, having just had the awful experience of a delayed and risky train trip, need to spend some quiet time having a cup of coffee and recovering.

I deal with hundreds of small business owners who tell me their staff are not functional for at least the first half-hour at work. They need time to calm down and to change their mind-set from fear to production.

The enormous losses to the economy are almost impossible to calculate, but small businesses feel the delay most acutely.

For instance, a small plumbing firm would not be able to get the bakkie and its staff on the road to their first call-out until after 8am, even though the staff are meant to be on the road at 7am.

It doesn’t help to tell your staff to take earlier trains, as most of the individuals have been punished by apartheid due to their dwellings being in the townships, and they are getting out of bed at 4am to start their commute as it is. We must also remember that many of the staff only arrive home after a harrowing journey at 8pm or later.

The sooner we sort out the public transport system the sooner we will improve productivity and the home lives of working-class people.

Michael Bagraim, MP Via e-mail