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The nationwide bus drivers’ strike is officially over after three trade unions, SA Trade and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), Transport and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (Tawusa), and the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Tawu) settled on a 9% wage increase with the National Employers’ Association.
However, not all unions are in agreement, with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) rejecting any offers made by the bus employers, according to its spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi.
“Numsa wants to confirm that we met with the labour minister this morning ... her intention was to end the current strike. We learnt this morning that three trade unions, Satawu, Tawusa and Tawu ... unilaterally signed the agreement with the employer, without consulting Numsa,” the union’s general secretary Irvin Jim said on Friday afternoon.
The strike, which began on Wednesday, left thousands of commuters stranded this week, causing chaos ahead of people’s Easter weekend travel plans.
Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant told the media at a briefing on Friday that, since a majority of the trade unions agreed to the wage offer, “it supersedes” the conditions of the other trade unions and therefore the strike was over.
“We will be addressing general meetings all over the country tomorrow where workers will be allowed to gather to reflect on this development,” Jim said.
Numsa is calling upon workers to give it a mandate on whether or not to continue with the strike action.
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