Thousands of commuters throughout the country will soon be left stranded as workers from major bus companies, including drivers, prepare for a massive industrial action over pay and retrenchments next week.
The strike action has sparked fears of renewed violence, hot on the heels of the incidents involving Metrobus workers in Johannesburg in the past two months.
Metrobus, which is owned by the Johannesburg City Council, was forced to suspend its operations last Friday after three non-striking drivers were killed and several injured.
The strike action by more than 18 000 workers belonging to the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Tawu) and the Transport and Omnibus Workers’ Union (Towu) is due to start on Wednesday next week, after talks between labour and the South African Employers’ Association collapsed last week.
The three labour unions are demanding an across-the-board increase of 13%, while the bus employers are offering an increase of 5%.
Major companies that will be affected by the strike include Putco, Greyhound, Golden Arrow, Megabus, Buscor and Mayibuye Algoa.
Towu general secretary Garry Wilson said the increase offered by employers was well below inflation. “This is an insult to employees if one compares it with what the management earn.”
According to Wilson, bus drivers earn in the region of R2 000 a month, while their managers’ earnings range from R30 000 to more than R50 000 a month.
“The wage gap between managers and ordinary workers is getting bigger and bigger every year. This year, workers are prepared to fight for reasonable increases. If you look at the lifestyles of these managers, you will understand why workers are so angry,” said Wilson.
A recent study on annual labour bargaining conducted by Naledi shows that while workers received above inflation increases in 2006 and 2007, the real impact of inflation on the purchasing power of low-income workers was understated by the annual inflation index.
The study also shows that those in lower income categories experience a far higher negative effect of inflation since they spend a large portion of their household income on basic necessities such as food, transport, medical care and education, which experience higher rates of inflation. Average annual inflation figures for basic commodities for December 2006 indicate that inflation of these necessities was much higher than the average annual CPIX figure of 5,0%.
Other unresolved issues between labour and bus employers include what workers have described as unfair calculation of retrenchment packages for retrenched workers.
Satawu national coordinator Zakhele Sibeko said retrenched workers in the bus industry were paid one week for each year worked. Labour demand that workers should be paid four weeks of each year worked.
Sibeko said the unions also want companies to pay workers who do the same job equal salaries. There are currently many discrepancies.
Barry Gie, president of the employers’ association, said: “There is no way employers can accede to the unions’ demand of 13%. It is not going to happen.”
He said the strike would have a very negative impact on the economy, as most of the country’s large bus companies will be affected. The losses are estimated at R60-million a day for the bus companies and R3-million a day for workers in terms of wages. Gie said employers were working hard to find a solution to the impasse.
Unionists arrested for bus-strike murders
Police have arrested three members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) suspected to be linked to the violence during the Metrobus strike, which culminated in the killing last week of three non-striking Metrobus drivers.
Samwu spokesperson Dumisani Langa confirmed the arrests to the Mail & Guardian this week, but refused to divulge names.
Metrobus, which is owned by the Johannesburg City Council, was forced to suspend its operations last Friday amid growing attacks on those of its employees who did not participate in the Samwu strike.
Since the strike started in January, five non-striking drivers have been attacked. According to Gabu Tugwana, head of communications at the Johannesburg City Council, two of the three drivers who were killed last week were burnt alive.
The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) condemned the outbreak of violence linked to the strike. “It is worrying that workers tend to take advantage of their right to strike and commit crime,” Fedusa general secretary Dennis George told a daily newspaper.
Langa denied that Samwu members were behind the murder of the Metrobus workers and accused police of falsely blaming Samwu members for the criminal acts that have plagued the Metrobus strike.
Langa also claimed that the three arrested Samwu members were tortured and assaulted by police.
“What is hurting is that police are forcing them to implicate some of our leaders. You can’t force people to make confessions. It is unlawful. We will take the matter up with the relevant authorities,” said Langa.
Police spokesperson superintendent Thembi Nkhwashu said she was unaware of any assault of Samwu members by the police.
Samwu members have been on strike since January after a dispute with Metrobus over sick leave payouts. The union is not happy with the company’s decision to change an existing agreement that allows staff to be paid out for accumulated leave. The company said the issue was dealt with in 2003.
“Details of the proposed agreement are well known to Samwu and there were no surprise changes in the agreement,” said Tugwana.
He could not provide details about the extent of the losses incurred by Metrobus since the strike started, but said the overall loss to the company would include physical damage to buses and other stolen or damaged equipment, as well as medical and other costs.
He said the parties would meet again on Friday to try to resolve the dispute.
“We remain committed to finding a solution through negotiations,” said Tungwana.