Bus strike deal 'urgent'

12 April 2017 - 02:00 By NOMAHLUBI JORDAAN and ARON HYMAN
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A Rea Vaya bus. File picture
A Rea Vaya bus. File picture
Image: Antonio Muchave

As a nationwide bus strike planned for today is set to affect thousands of commuters, the Department of Transport says it has no "plan B" to help stranded passengers.

Both local and long distance commuters will be affected by the strike and trade unions have advised that they should make alternative arrangements.

Buses to be affected by the strike include Putco, Mgqibelo, Mayibuye, Buscor, Golden Arrow, Megabus, Mega Express, Bojanala, Gauteng Coaches, Itereleng, Ipelegeng, Atamelang, Autopax, Great North Transport, ReaVaya, Phola Coaches, PAL Bus and Greyhound.

Gautrain sent out an alert yesterday notifying commuters that its bus service would be interrupted "until further notice".

"I appeal to the bus associations and unions that they reach an amicable solution, because if there is no solution, millions and millions of people are going to be stranded and we do not have a plan B in case there is no solution," said newly appointed Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi.

"If drivers ground buses we are going to be in trouble. Taxis, trains and planes are not going to take the space that would have been left open by buses," the minister said.

He appealed to bus companies and the unions to reach a solution "as a matter of urgency" so commuters, most of whom will be travelling long distances, would not be inconvenienced this weekend.

More than 300000 people who commute by bus in Cape Town will be forced to find alternatives, with drivers due to strike in pursuit of a 12% pay rise.

Brett Herron, Cape Town mayoral committee member for transport, appealed to employers to allow employees to work from satellite offices during the strike.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the timing of the strike could be damaging.

"It comes at a very bad time for business, because April has three public holidays and we lost business during the protests last week," said chamber president Janine Myburgh.

Golden Arrow, which runs 1150 buses in Cape Town, said it was concerned about the effect of a protracted strike on staff and hoped an agreement could be reached soon.

"In 2013, we had a two-week strike and it took our staff years to recover from the loss of income," said spokesman Bronwyn Dyke-Beyer.

The SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union and four other unions have been in wage talks with employers since January.

"They [bus companies] need to be genuine in their engagement with us. Our members are tired of being exposed to deteriorating working conditions," said Numsa spokesman Phakamile Hlubi.

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