Numsa in bus dispute

DEMAND: 30% ACROSS THE BOARD, R15 000 A MONTH FOR ALL WORKERS

Union also wants allowances and overtime pay.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) yesterday formally declared a dispute with the Bus Passengers Council after wage negotiations broke down.

Transport unions and employers in the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBC) sat down for the second round of wage negotiations this week, with other talks set to resume in March.

Numsa is demanding a wage increase of 30% across the board and is also demanding a living wage of R15 000 per month for all workers.

It also demanded a R1 500 housing allowance, R1 200 sleeping out allowance and wants workers to be paid time-and-a-half when working overtime and double-time if they work on their day off.

However, employers in the bus passenger sector, including companies such as Autopax, Buscor, PUTCO, Greyhound, Intercape, Golden Arrow, and Mgqibelo, are only prepared to offer a wage increase of 4.5% across the board.

Irvin Jim, the general secretary of Numsa, which has extended its scope to include transport, said the the response from employers was alarming given that “several bus transportation companies are guilty of abusing the basic conditions of employment”.

Jim said bus companies expected drivers to work 18-hour days but only paid them for half of those working hours. Workers were also not compensated for overtime and working on public holidays.

“Employers claim that the current economic climate means they can’t afford to increase salaries and yet, even at the time when the industry was doing well, those savings and profits were never passed onto our workers,” Jim said in a statement.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) would be facilitating mediation on March 6, after which a strike certificate may be issued.

Jim said a full-blown industry strike was imminent. – ANA