Translux and City-to-City reach agreement over wages

Two bus services – Translux and City-to-City – have reached an agreement over wages with striking bus drivers.

The agreement is for an 8.5 percent salary hike for all drivers at the two companies.

One of our TimesLIVE reporters at Johannesburg’s Park Station reported that some of the Translux buses had already begun operating again.

Meanwhile‚ the National Union of Metworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says it has not signed any agreements with any employers in the bus passenger sector.

“We only negotiate through the Bargaining Council‚ and we wish to re-iterate that it is Numsa policy that only the General Secretary can sign agreements on behalf of the union

“However‚ we look forward to our engagement with the Minister of Labour and the employers today. We hope for a speedy resolution to the dispute‚” said Phakamile Hlubi‚ the union’s acting national spokesperson.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) announced on Thursday that Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant would intervene to end the impasse in the crippling passenger bus strike‚ which left thousands of commuters stranded countrywide ahead of the Easter weekend.

Workers affiliated to unions in the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council including Satawu‚ downed tools on Wednesday demanding a 12% across-the-board wage increase and better working conditions.

A meeting to resolve the impasse on Wednesday afternoon did not produce an agreement.

Even though employers upped the offer to 9% across-the-board from the initial 7.5%‚ they would not commit to improving working conditions in the industry.

Unions rejected the offer outright and vowed to continue the strike.

Satawu spokesman Zanele Sabela said the union had lobbied Oliphant to meet with all parties to resolve the deadlock in the interest of the public and commuters in particular.