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BL Premium reports that the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) says bus drivers will down tools before the Easter holidays in a bid to secure wage increases of up to 9%.
The union and employer bodies represented at the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council deadlocked in February and were granted a 30-day cooling-off period after Satawu was issued with a certificate of non-resolution, allowing it to strike. Satawu, which represents about 4,600 workers in the sector, is demanding a two-year wage deal, with an increase of 9% in 2023/24 and an 8% hike in the second year. The union has rejected a 6% offer by employer organisations, which include the SA Bus Employers Association and the Commuter Bus Employers Association. “There is nothing revised here, the employer keeps on insulting the workers. We are not even going to consider it. The 30-day cooling period will expire ... We will then on April 1 give the employer a 48-hour notice that we will be embarking on a strike as the certificate of non-resolution was issued by the commissioner. The strike is legal and protected,” Satawu said. In 2022, a strike in the sector was averted when parties agreed on a 6% pay increase, which expires on 31 March. The unions had initially sought 11%. SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council general secretary Gary Wilson pointed out that the cooling-off period ends on 30 March and said it was “premature” for the union to threaten strike action as parties could still find each other.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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