About 600 Johannesburg Metro Bus drivers will continue with their strike on Wednesday after the company requested they suspend the strike action, the union said.
South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) shop steward Dion Makhura said the drivers would gather outside the Metro Bus head office in Braamfontein.
”We’re in a dilemma … We don’t know what they [the company] want to do. If they refer the matter to the bargaining council, it will take 30 days before it can sit,” said Makhura.
Metro Bus had asked Samwu to suspend the strike action until it received feedback from the bargaining council.
Metro Bus marketing manager Kenneth Kutu said their human resources manager would go to the local government bargaining council on Wednesday morning to hear if there are any developments.
”We are committed to speeding up the process,” said Kutu.
He said the company decided to refer the matter to the bargaining council after its lawyers had studied the reasons the Labour Court gave in its judgement on Friday. The court’s decision favoured the drivers who demand a salary based on experience and seniority.
Metro buses would not be running during the strike due to safety concerns. – Sapa