Strike that hurt everyone ends

"Now I can settle my debt!" a Golden Arrow bus driver screamed when he heard the brakes had been applied to the national transport strike yesterday.

The Cape Town father of two, who asked not to be named, borrowed about R1500 for food as the strike raged on for close to a month.

"It has not been easy. But I am relieved that they will be giving us 10%. It is better than last year."

Another bus driver for the company said she had been "worried sick" about her passengers during the strike.

"They call me every day wanting to know when the strike is going to end. Some of them have had to spend R100 on taxi fare every day to get to work," she said.

Tony Franks, general secretary of the Transport Omnibus Workers' Union, and Vincent Masoga, spokesman of the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union, confirmed that at about 3pm it was agreed with the 62 employers nationwide that the bus strike would be called off.

Franks said the unions had settled on a 10% wage increase.

Golden Arrow said it said it would lift the lock out imposed on the strikers at midnight.

"However, due to the short notice, it might be that not all staff members are timeously informed of the end of the strike."

Early yesterday, hours ahead of the settlement, several Golden Arrow bus drivers pleaded to be allowed to return to work. The strike has crippled them financially.

All employees contacted by The Times said they relied on hand-outs from family and friends, or had borrowed money.

Commuters, desperate to find the taxi fare, fel l victim to loan sharks, who took advantage of their plight .

Fred Jacobs, president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the "financial and mental stress" would be lifted from commuters' shoulders.

"The impact doesn't disappear once the agreement has been reached.

"There are people who are sitting with debt that they have to pay, and there are those who effectively lost money, and that puts families in very difficult financial situations," said Jacobs.