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"Everyone in South Africa bemoans the high unemployment levels in the country, but when a project is tackled that may create more than 130 000 jobs, there are those who try to sink the idea because it may cause them discomfort," said Solidarity general secretary for the metal and engineering industry, Johan Pieterse in a statement on Monday.
Solidarity says that it understands people's objections and accepts that the residents' association that is currently opposing the Gautrain route through Pretoria may feel that they had been "misled" during the planning process.
According to Pieterse, every day that is devoted to attempts to counter the project is a day that could have been spent building it.
"A project like the Gautrain has to adhere to fixed timelines and schedules and the quality of the project must not be jeopardised. Planning for the project estimated a time for 54 months for its completion.
"Attempts to speed it up may have negative consequences for the future safety of the train."
Solidarity also added that public perceptions that the Gautrain would not be ready to provide transport between Johannesburg and Pretoria by 2010, cannot be ascribed to ignorance or poor planning on the part of the project team, but on continuous changes to the route.
"As with any transport project, not everybody can be accommodated. Some people will suffer discomfort.
"South Africa cannot allow a project that will create thousands of jobs and grow the economy to be scuppered by those who feel aggrieved because it may inconvenience them."
Solidarity said that it understood the reservations of people, particularly those in Muckleneuk and Lukasrand, that they had been "misled during the initial phases of the project", but people should also take into account the positive aspect of job creation as a result of the project, the union stated.
Pieterse added that the project was viable and that it would indeed help to reduce the high volumes of road traffic between Johannesburg and Pretoria. By 2010 an estimated 250 000 vehicles will travel between the two cities every day.
Solidarity is the second largest trade union in the metal and engineering industry and will be one of the trade unions representing members working on the Gautrain project.
