Eleven unions from eight African countries attended the regional networking workshop on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from 24-26 April in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).
BRT is an urban transport system promoted in African cities by international financial institutions, such as the World Bank.
The meeting, which backed the ITF’s Our Public Transport (OPT) programme that prioritises public ownership, public investment, secure jobs and union rights for workers in public and private employers, focussed on the following key areas:
- Union networking in the implementation of BRT in Africa, especially with regard to best practices for engagement with stakeholders and decision makers. For a labour impact assessment of BRT in Nairobi click here.
- Understanding the impact on informal, formal and women transport workers from the introduction of BRT.
- Sharing experiences on how to raise awareness about BRT and organising public transport workers.
- Sharing experiences from countries where BRT is being implemented or has been implemented.
- Planning for continued collaboration over the next two years.
The meeting also issued a solidarity statement in support of the bus strike by the South Africa Transport and General Workers’ Union (Satawu).
The meeting was also attended by academics with specialist knowledge of the implications for the daladala (minibus) workforce from the implementation of BRT.
ITF Africa deputy regional secretary, Anna Karume, said: “This meeting demonstrates that unions in Africa are ready to fight for a vision of public transport that works for workers, unions, passengers and the environment.”
Read more by searching for #OurPublicTransport on social media or by visiting the website here.
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