Bus strike enters second week
Commuters will have to continue making alternative transport arrangements as the national bus strike enters its second week.
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) spokesperson Zanele Sabela told eNCA on Monday that the strike is continuing‚ despite calls by the ministers of transport and labour for unions and employers to find a resolution.
“The ministers have urged us to come up with a resolution but the employers have given us an ultimatum to accept the offer on the table‚” Sabela said.
“The problem with the offer is that it is only for 11 months. The employers are robbing workers of one month’s salary increase.”
She said the unions would on Monday discuss a way forward.
“The strike continues. We will discuss our options.”
Sabela admitted that the strike has had a serious effect but blamed the employers for not being willing to come through for the workers.
Satawu‚ the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa)‚ the Transport and Omnibus Workers Union (Towu)‚ the Transport and Allied Workers Union of South Africa (Tawusa) and the Tirisano Transport and Services Workers Union announced their decision to continue with the strike at a media conference in Johannesburg a week ago.
The decision followed after negotiations with employers‚ mediated by the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) broke down.
The national bus strike has left commuters across the country stranded. The strike followed after wage negotiations in the industry deadlocked last month.