Nationwide bus strike to continue: Satawu calls on ministers to intervene

The nationwide bus strike is set to continue as unions and management have yet to strike a deal.

“The strike is continuing. We have asked workers who are not members of the unions to join the strike because whatever deal we get will also benefit them‚” said Zanele Sabela‚ a spokesperson for the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union.

“We have not heard from management. We call on the ministers of transport and labour to intervene in the matter‚” Sabela told TimesLIVE.

She said workers no longer demanded a 12% wage increase and had settled on a 9.5 % increase for the first year and a 9% increase for the second.

Satawu‚ the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa‚ the Transport and Omnibus Workers Union‚ the Transport and Allied Workers Union of South Africa and the Tirisano Transport and Services Workers Union announced their decision to continue with the strike at a media conference in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon.

The decision came after negotiations with employers‚ mediated by the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration‚ broke down earlier in the day.

The national bus strike started on Wednesday and has left commuters across the country stranded. The strike followed after wage negotiations in the industry deadlocked last month.