NUMSA condemns the greedy bosses in the bus passenger sector for provoking a national strike!
13 March 2024
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) met with employer associations the South African Bus Employers Association SABEA and Commuters Bus Employers Association COBEA yesterday as part of an attempt to break the deadlock. NUMSA is deadlocked with employers and the purpose of the conciliation, which was held under the auspices of the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC), was to try and bring parties closer together in order to avert a national bus strike.
Unfortunately, those efforts failed. Employers continue to stubbornly demand that workers must absorb the cost of the contract penalties if they are imposed on them by the authorities. We reject this demand from employers as workers have nothing to do with negotiated contracts that employers negotiate with authorities without our involvement. The bosses do not disclose their contracts to our members, therefore why should they be financially liable for their failures? NUMSA condemns the employers for insisting on taking this extreme position! It is clear that they are provoking the strike. The greedy bosses want workers to pay for their mismanagement! Secondly, the employers have stuck to their guns in their demand to alter the status quo clause of the Main Collective Agreement to create a two-tier labour market. This means that new workers who are employed from 1 April 2024 will be placed on the minimum rates of pay and will not receive the benefits which we negotiated for current employees. We also reject this demand as it threatens the very existence of collective bargaining and the SARPBAC itself.
We have exhausted all avenues in attempting to resolve this dispute. We have our back up against the wall, therefore we have no choice but to mobilize for a national strike in the Bus passenger sector. The employers are offering a minor 4% increase and are not responding to our core demands on;
1. Adjustment on the Double driver allowance to R600-00
2. Medical insurance that include private hospitalization
3. Night shift hours to be in line with the BCEA, from 18H00 – 06H00
4. Allowances for train bus and bi-articulated drivers
5. No scheduling on Sunday, Public Holiday and day offs
The commissioner has formally issued a certificate of non-resolution allowing workers to strike.
We are mobilizing for the complete shutdown of the industry unless employers can return to the table and put a reasonable offer for our members’ consideration.
These employers have the audacity to make these demands whilst grossly exploiting workers in the sector. They get generous subsidies from government, whether they are operating at full capacity or not. They behave like slave owners which is why it is critical for workers to defend their gains.
We call on all workers in the sector to unite behind their demands and fight for a living wage!
(For more details on the looming bus strike, watch the latest episode of “Workers Power” on the NUMSA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6Wy3pYh8c)
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!
Issued by Irvin Jim, NUMSA General Secretary, 13 March 2024
