Nationwide bus strike continues in full force‚ says Numsa

The nationwide bus strike entered its second day on Thursday‚ with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) saying it was up to employers to end it all.

“The ball is in their court to bring us an offer which will be acceptable‚” Numsa’s acting national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi told TimesLIVE on Wednesday.

“For now‚ the strike continues in full force‚” she said.

The strike has caused anxiety and inconvenience for local and long distance bus commuters across the country ahead of the Easter weekend.

The offer tabled by employers on Wednesday was a 9% across-the-board wage increase‚ overtime pay for drivers after working a 16-hour shift‚ a 10% night shift allowance increase and a 10% cross-border allowance increase.

The union has rejected the offer.

“The fact that employers are not willing to offer a double digit increase‚ and are unwilling to pay the co-driver for his or her services when they are not driving is simply a disgrace‚” said Hlubi.

The union vowed to intensify its strike action and criticised the proposal by employers to pay drivers overtime only after a shift of 16 hours had been worked.