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City to City buses resume operations following strike

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City to City and Translux buses are back to work following a strike by long distance bus drivers.

The news comes after a meeting to resolve a salary dispute took place on Thursday afternoon.

Around 700 long distance bus drivers had embarked on a strike, which left many commuters stranded, beginning Wednesday night, at the Johannesburg and Pretoria stations.

Bus drivers at Autopax, which operates City to City and Translux buses, were said to be unhappy about an unforeseen salary deduction on their Sunday overtime rates.

After a deadlocked meeting with management, which was refusing to pay employees before Christmas, the strike commenced.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said that the company had introduced some changes to how it pays workers for working on a Sunday, which surprised the workers when they saw on their payslips that deductions had been made from their salaries this month.

“The company unilaterally changed the method of payment for Sunday work without informing the workers or the union. A meeting held early in December between Satawu officials and management on this issue collapsed and did not reach any conclusion or agreement.

“Despite this management went ahead and implemented the change. Workers warned management yesterday that they would down tools today if payment was not made. Management apologised, but said it would only make payment on 11 January.

“Workers are angry that they were short-paid but they are infuriated at management’s behaviour and attitude,” Satawu spokesperson Zanele Sabela said on Thursday.

During the meeting, held at 4pm with Prasa Group CEO Sibusiso Sithole, it was agreed that outstanding amounts owed to workers would be paid on Friday.

Sithole also agreed to meet with the board members of Autopax, which is owned by Prasa, to give them a report on why workers want Autopax CEO and executive Nathi Khena removed.

Sabela said that the feedback from the meeting will be given to workers on Friday. However, workers had indicated that nothing would stop them from downing tool again “if they do not like what they hear”.

Sithole has also scheduled a meeting with workers for January 17 to iron out all their grievances

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