Thousands of bus drivers are set to go on a national strike from Wednesday after they failed to reach a wage agreement with their employers.  Trade unions Numsa, Satawu and Towu served employers with a 48-hour strike notice on Monday.  

Since January they have been negotiating a deal with two associations representing 16 bus companies across the country, but the parties remain deadlocked.  The unions are demanding a 12% across-the-board increase as part of a one-year deal, but the bus companies are adamant they can only afford around 7.5% over a three-year period.  Golden Arrow confirmed it was served with a strike notice for action that will kick off on Wednesday.  The company has therefore decided to institute a lockout and all operations will be suspended until further notice.  In addition to Golden Arrow, services for Mayibuye in the Western Cape as well as Autopax, Putco and Rea Vaya, among others, could be brought to a halt.  

• Based on report at EWN and The New Age

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