ANC calls for end to bus strike
13 April 2017
Cape Town – The ANC on Thursday expressed concern about this week's nationwide bus strike.
"During this time, when many among us would want to spend this solemn time in places of worship and with family and loved ones, the ANC is concerned about the ongoing strike in the bus industry which has left many commuters stranded, unable to get to their destinations," it said in a statement.
It urged all parties to return to the negotiating table to resolve the impasse over wage demands. The strike started on Wednesday. Thousands of commuters were left stranded on Thursday.
Employers were offering a 7.5% pay increase, while unions wanted 12%. Negotiations deadlocked on Wednesday.
The Transport and Services Workers Union (Taswu) on Friday said unions had come to a new set of demands. They include:
- Across-the-board increase including minimums of 10%;
- Overtime (parties agreed) and;
- Allowances increased by 9% to induce employers to accept the demand on: double or dual driver (currently drivers on long distance services work for over 20 hours, but only get paid for seven hours)
Taswu said the employers' offer was still 7.5%.
"While the unions sympathise with the commuters about the transport inconvenience, we urge all to understand challenges confronted by the employees in the industry," it said.
The services of Golden Arrow and MyCiti in Cape Town, Rea Vaya in Johannesburg, Gautrain and Putco, and some long-distance operators had been suspended.
George in the Western Cape and regions in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga had also been affected.
