FRIDAY, 1.00PM
BUS drivers across the country went on strike today, blockading bus depots and leaving thousands of commuters stranded. Some drivers carried out their morning routes, then “downed tools” at mid-morning. The areas most affected are Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. In Port Elizabeth, some 40 buses blockaded the depot, while 150 drivers protested outside in support of demands for 14% wage increases. The major transport unions have been deadlocked with employers for a month over wage talks, and the labour court referred the dispute to compulsory arbitration, to start on Monday, as buses are deemed an essential service. The four unions were also barred from industrial action in support of the wage dispute.