The Star reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has urged its members at the Johannesburg Metrobus service to keep reporting for work. The majority of workers at Metrobus belong to Samwu.

The union’s spokesperson Papikie Mohale advised that its members were not on strike and advised that workers should report for duty, but should be cautious about their safety. Meantime, amid disrupted operations, the Metrobus drivers’ strike by the rebel Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of SA (Demawusa), which has around 100 members at Metrobus, entered its third week on Monday. There are currently no negotiations between Demawusa and Metrobus because the union is not recognised because it is not part of the Local Government Bargaining Council. Among a list of 28 demands it has put forward, Demawusa is demanding an 18% salary increase. Metrobus has taken Demawusa to court and the City of Joburg is apparently putting together some contingency plans to salvage the situation. Metrobus spokesperson Goodwill Shiburi said tensions between striking workers and non-striking workers were so bad that those who were experiencing threats were afraid of even going to the police. He also said the principle of ‘no work, no pay’ would apply and those who were on strike would be locked out.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa at The Star

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