 |
 |
 |
| This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
 |
 |
Drivers' strike continues
- Details
- 01 September 2011
A conciliation meeting with striking bus drivers has come and gone, with no solution yet found. The City has apologised for the inconvenience.
PROTESTING Rea Vaya drivers and their union did not arrive at the scheduled conciliation with PioTrans at the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council, which was set for 29 August, continuing their strike.
The strike began in early August, and the City's transport department has apologised to commuters for any inconvenience that it has caused.
Passengers must continue using alternative means of transport as the bus operating company, PioTrans, the bargaining council, and the South African Workers Union (Samwu), carried on with negotiations to find a solution that suited all parties, Joburg said.
"The City stands behind the PioTrans management and board that are using their best endeavours to end the strike in line with South African labour legislation," explained the transport portfolio head, Rehana Moosajee.
Patience has been asked of commuters as PioTrans and the City would like to reach to a solution that will not only see the drivers go back to work but will also prevent similar strikes in the future.This will ensure that Rea Vaya continued to provide stable, dependable and rapid services, the bus operating company believes.
Drivers embarked on an unprotected and illegal strike on 1 August, with the dispute centred on salaries. Since the strike was not protected, PioTrans obtained an urgent interdict for the drivers to return to work.
On the morning of 8 August, all the drivers returned to work save for 17, who were then dismissed. Later that day, drivers went back on strike.
PioTrans applied for another interdict to get the drivers to return to duty, and its application was heard by the Labour Court on 11 August. However, the court ruled in favour of the drivers and so made the strike legal and protected.
The dispute was referred to the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council, with conciliation set for 29 August. The drivers and their union did not attend the conciliation meeting.
"This is very disappointing and demonstrates a lack of commitment by the drivers to find a solution to the strike," Moosajee said. "We trust that the PioTrans management will take the necessary steps to resolve the dispute."
Management said it was willing to discuss salaries and related issues with the drivers, but needed to do so in compliance with South African labour law and practice. Pay in the passenger bus sector is determined centrally by the bargaining council and any negotiations have to happen in this context.
The drivers are demanding R15 000 a month, plus benefits. This is significantly above the ceiling stipulated by the Bargaining Council Agreement. The company said it should also be noted that in May this year, its bus drivers received a 10 percent salary increase.
Related stories:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
