bus strike

(reavaya.org)

Bus strike update: Workers set to make a decision on new wage terms

There may be an end in sight for this long-running saga.

bus strike

(reavaya.org)

It’s taken three weeks of industrial action – and continued stalemate at the negotiating table – but according to eNCA, it seems that there’s now half a chance of progress in the nationwide bus strike.

Bus companies are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss the latest proposals aimed to appease the workers and get public transport up and running again.

Bus strike update: What have workers been offered?

The new deal would see workers pick up an 8.75% wage increase in the first year and an 8.25% rise for the following annual period. Initially, unions demanded an increase of 12%, but have been willing to climb down from their first valuation.

According to the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), if a deal is reached this week, payment will be backdated to 1 April.

Zanela Sabela is a spokesperson for Satawu. Last week, the representative made it clear why the workers are adamant on improving their current deal:

“We come from the same communities, we share the same struggles but these bus drivers have to work 14 to 17 hours a day.”

“The minimum wage they are offering is not enough, they have families and there are no benefits, no medical aid, no provident fund and, to top it off, the conditions they work in are bad.”

The strike so far

The chaos has heaped misery on tens of thousands of commuters who rely on the bus networks for their jobs. Images of long, winding queues at local taxi ranks have become the enduring sight of this strike so far.

In Cape Town, the withdrawal of MyCiti and Golden Arrow bus services have had the biggest impact on the city. Gauteng has seen Putco, Rea Vaya and Gautrain buses all down tools in the last month, too.

We were even inspired to look towards Japan’s current bus strike for further inspiration. Over there, the drivers are simply refusing to accept any fares from passengers. They are on strike perhaps only in name, as the services for Ryobi are continuing uninterrupted and as scheduled.

Oh, we would be so lucky…

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