Chaos looms as drivers park buses

About 25,000 bus drivers are expected to go on an indefinite strike on Wednesday, following the collapse of wage negotiations on Tuesday.

Buses carry about 20% of SA’s commuters daily. A strike on Wednesday may significantly affect people’s travel plans during the long Easter holidays as migrants trek back to their homes and more than a million Zion Christian Church members make their annual Easter pilgrimage to Moria in Limpopo.

The strike, coupled with the opposition parties’ marches on Wednesday, could also affect business severely. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Tuesday no response had been received from the employers to their ultimatum on Sunday.

The unions have been bargaining with the bus sector since the end of January. Employers are offering an increase of 7.5%, while Satawu and Numsa are demanding 12% and 15%, respectively. The unions have also raised conditions of service issues, such as shifts spread over 16 hours and overtime, which they maintain exhausts and frustrates drivers.

South African Bus Employer’s Association spokesman Meko Magida said on Tuesday that no meetings were scheduled (between the parties), but employers were willing to engage their employees.

Meanwhile, train drivers may also strike, but probably not this week, with unions at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) saying on Tuesday they had received a final wage offer from the agency, a move that could put a further strain on the public transport system.

At Prasa, the United National Transport Union (Untu) is now consulting with its members on the possibility of a strike, after the agency tabled a final offer of 6% to members. Prasa had also failed to offer any increases for allowances that had not risen for years, Untu general secretary Steve Harris said. Mandating for a strike could take two weeks, Harris said.

Independent transport analyst Paul Browning said on Tuesday a strike in the bus sector would probably affect services within cities and between them differently.

While many may be affected, the taxi sector would be able to pick up the slack for inner-city services. Bus companies often repurposed inner-city service buses during Easter for intercity traffic, when strain was also felt on the taxi sector.

“This could put a lot of pressure on drivers from owners ... to make additional trips,” Browning said.