BusinessLive reports that bus companies have reached a wage agreement with trade unions, averting a possible strike in the sector that has already been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Gary Wilson, general secretary of the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac), advised on Monday that a one-year agreement was reached on Thursday last week.  All workers will receive a 6% wage increase, effective on 1 April.  The parties compromised by dropping other demands that could potentially have led to a strike during the Easter period.  The unions covered by the agreement include the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), Transport & Omnibus Workers Union (Towu), Togetherness Amalgamated Workers' Union of SA (Tawusa), and Tirisano Transport and Services Workers Union (Taswu).  Among their demands, the unions had sought an industry medical aid and a one-year, 8.5% wage increase for employees at the lower end of the wage scale and 7.5% for those at the higher end of the scale.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive

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