Dagga drivers dismissed - The Citizen

[420SA]

Dagga drivers dismissed

 

Eric Naki

A staffing company has fired 300 drivers after they tested positive for marijuana.

Less than two months after the Constitutional Court’s ruling permitting the private use of cannabis, a Johannesburg-based staffing company has become the first to test the judgment by firing 300 drivers after they tested positive for marijuana.

Innovative Staffing Solutions’ managing director Arnoux Mare defended the action, saying the legalisation of dagga did not mean drivers who test positive for the substance were not in violation of their work code and conduct.

Unions appeared to understand this, but questioned whether Staffing Solutions followed proper procedure.

South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) spokesperson Zanele Sabela said 300 was a high number and raised questions about the manner in which the drivers were tested.

“We advise the 300 drivers to initiate unfair dismissal cases against Innovative Staffing Solutions,” Sabela said. Mare, however, was adamant that the firm’s decision was correct and that his company could not take the risk of incurring damage to people or personal and public property.

“A trucker driving under the influence of cannabis can be likened to a noncoherent person barrelling a 60-ton missile down the road at 80 to 100km/h. If he or she loses control of the vehicle, innocent people are likely to lose their lives and infrastructure could be seriously damaged,” he said.

“This is similar to … alcohol. It may be legal, but being drunk at work is a dismissable cause.”

Mare said all their drivers signed a contract that specified the terms of their employment.

It stated that the employee undertook and understood that they were not allowed to work while under the influence of alcohol and/or intoxicating drugs, whether on the premises of the employer or a client, or any premises where duties were performed.

“We do not take dismissals lightly, but we cannot accept behaviour that could place people’s lives in danger or our business at risk,” Mare said. South African Federation of Trade Unions offered to represent the dismissed drivers. “

We will ensure that they are given a fair hearing,” said spokesperson Patrick Craven.

https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/2032543/dagga-drivers-dismissed/ 

[greenkush]

I'm in agreement, just like you must not drink and drive the same should be applied to Cannabis.

[TomHill]

If a person has cannabinoids in their body, doesn't mean that they are intoxicated. 

[420SA]

6 minutes ago, TomHill said:

If a person has cannabinoids in their body, doesn't mean that they are intoxicated. 

Yea I see a flaw in this and according to law, their employer can't dictate what they do in their own private time. They need to educate themselves on how long THC stays in the system. In this article it seems like they're insisting the guys were using on the job, while driving. They'll have to prove that then

I obviously don't advocate being blazed while handling a multi ton truck but if these guys were not high while driving they can't dismiss them

[greenkush]

54 minutes ago, TomHill said:

If a person has cannabinoids in their body, doesn't mean that they are intoxicated. 

Agreed, they should refine the tests or do sobriety tests for the drivers. Either way, you're accepting until its you pinned under an truck driven by an intoxicated driver.

Edited November 6, 2018 by greenkush