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Fin24 reports that a major bus strike that would have left commuters stranded over the Easter weekend has been averted as unions are now mulling over a new wage increase offer.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), which was initially planning to conduct a protected strike upon the expiry on Thursday of a cooling off period, has now committed to returning to the bargaining table and referring the offer to its members. Four other unions, including Satawu, are involved in the wage talks. The employer organisations at the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC), namely the SA Bus Employers Association (SABEA) and the Commuter Bus Employers Organisation (COBEA), had initially offered a 2.5% wage increase, which was not accperted. SARPBAC said in a statement that “to avert the looming chaos that would undoubtedly have resulted from a nationwide strike during this peak travel period”, it approached all parties appealing to them to re-open negotiations. SARPBAC said all parties committed to finding a solution to the deadlock and that the parties agreed to review their final positions. "On Tuesday, employers presented labour with a revised offer which unions agreed to take back to their respective constituencies, after which they will meet on 19 April to consolidate their response. A meeting of all parties will then be held on 22 April to further the dialogue and hopefully come out with a settlement," the SARPBAC advised. Numsa said in its own statement that employers revised their offer upwards and proposed a percentage increase of 4.5% across the board, including allowances, at Tuesday's meeting. The union said it would be spending the coming days consulting members around the country for a mandate on the latest offer.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
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