Bus industry gives unions Wednesday ultimatum

EMPLOYER parties in the bus industry have given the unions until Wednesday to accept a new offer they tabled on Friday, according to South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu).

Negotiations between the parties failed again despite interventions by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant and Transport Minister Blade Nzimande. Thousands of bus commuters will continue to scramble for alternative transport as the five unions called for the nationwide strike, which will enter its second week, to intensify.

The proposed increases are across the board on the basic wages of existing employees, as well as industry minimum wages and all applicable allowances.

Bus companies had initially offered a 7% wage increase, which the Satawu, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the Tirisano Transport and Service Workers Union, the Transport and Omnibus Workers Union and the Transport and Allied Workers Union labelled an insult.

The CCMA, which mediated talks on Thursday and Friday, proposed an 8% increase in the first year and 8.5% in the second year of a two-year agreement.

Bus companies accepted the facilitator’s offer on condition that the unions drop other demands, such as payment for night shift and insourcing of workers‚ workshop and technical staff. Unions dropped their wage demand to a 9.5% increase in the first year and 9% in the second year, following their initial demand of a 12% increase.

“We did not accept the offer because we are not happy about it, and we needed time alone to discuss a way forward,” said Satawu spokesperson Zanele Sabela.

Employers said that passengers would bear the brunt of the exorbitant salary increases drivers were demanding.

“Our passengers come from low-income communities and on average earn salaries that are three times less than that which drivers are demanding,” they said.