Bus strike: unions and employers to go back to the negotiation table

The national bus strike could soon end as unions and employers are going back to the negotiation table.

Zanele Sabela‚ a spokesperson for the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu)‚ said after the unions met early this week‚ they decided to invite employers for another round of wage negotiations.

“On Monday when we met‚ we decided it is our responsibility to invite the employers back to the negotiation table. We then wrote to the bargaining council to request a meeting with employers so we can continue negotiations‚” Sabela said.

The national bus strike‚ which is in its second week‚ has left commuters across the country stranded. The strike followed after wage negotiations in the industry deadlocked last month.

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.