Blocked roads and traffic mayhem: Tshwane bus strike chaos continues

Tshwane traffic remained congested on Tuesday due to the continued municipal workers' strike.

TimesLIVE reported that the bus strike that caused chaos on Monday was expected to continue on Tuesday and bus services have been suspended entirely.

The strike started on Thursday, but after wage negotiations between the union and council reached a deadlock, the strike intensified on Monday morning.

Municipal workers are demanding 18% salary increases.

The SA Municipal Workers' Union's (Samwu's) greater Tshwane region branch said in a statement on Sunday, when announcing the strike, that they also wanted the city to stop outsourcing services.

"If money is good for senior managers, equally we also deserve money. Our demand remains 18%, backdated to July 1 2017.

"As much as we will ensure that an amicable solution is realised soon, our legal team has been instructed to lodge necessary documents with the SA Local Government Bargaining Council on July 29," Samwu regional secretary Mpho Tladinyane said.

'Respect the rights of other road users'

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula issued a statement on Monday urging bus drivers to respect the rights of other road users, adding that they should discuss their grievances with the municipality and desist from blockading roads.

"The city is not only the administrative capital of the country but also a critical economic hub. A shutdown of this nature not only undermines the rights of other road users to access their places of work or centres of economic activity but has the potential to deal a severe blow to an economy which can ill afford disruptions. It must not be allowed to continue," Mbalula said.

Mbalula also called for the law to take its course.

"Lawlessness must not prevail. Workers have a right to strike but they must do so within the confines of traffic laws," he said.

Trending on social media

The strike saw Tshwane CBD making the top trending list on Twitter as social media users took to the platform to air their grievances.

Here is a snapshot of some of the top reactions: