The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) on Monday denied accusations of violence and intimidation during a bus drivers’ strike at Autopax Passenger Services.
Autopax spokesperson Carl Newman accused striking Satawu members of violence and intimidation during pickets on Thursday and Friday.
The national strike action commenced last week and continued to affect all bus routes, said Newman.
The union was protesting against labour-law infringements, mismanagement and a lack of transformation — there are still no black people or women in top management at Autopax — Satawu said.
Newman also alleged that the shooting of an Autopax manager on Friday was strike-related.
”The manager noticed he was being followed while on his way home from Park Station [in Johannesburg],” he said.
The manager was shot five times, was hospitalised and then discharged on Sunday evening.
Police were investigating the incident, said Newman.
He said striking workers had interfered with Autopax operations at the Park Station depot, intimidating non-striking Autopax employees, passengers and other members of the public.
Satawu spokesperson Ronnie Mamba said while he regretted any intimidation or violence, he could not believe Satawu members were responsible.
”We deny that … It is hard to believe our members would do that … it was such a pleasant picket [on Thursday and Friday]. I was there,” he said.
He denied that the shooting was related to the strike.
”Why would they [members] target someone so low [ranking] in the organisation …? I just do not buy that it was linked to the strike,” he said.
Autopax, a division of Transnet that deals with bus transport, owns the Translux and City to City bus lines.
On Wednesday, Satawu will march from Park Station to Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg in protest against Autopax.
Autopax has a fleet of 240 buses and makes 52 long-distance trips every day, including trips to neighbouring countries.
Satawu has a 50% membership among the company’s 1 000 workers, but non-members had also joined the protest, Mamba said. — Sapa