Workers bear brunt of bus strike, having to borrow money for taxis
Thousands of people are stranded or late getting to their destinations while some taxi operators are overwhelmed by passengers jostling for a seat
Commuters had to grit their teeth to navigate long‚ frustrating queues to board taxis and trains, and had to organise ride-sharing as a national bus strike got under way on Wednesday. Thousands of people were stranded or late getting to their destinations while some taxi owners said they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of passengers jostling for space on their vehicles. Wage negotiations between the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC)‚ the Commuter Bus Employers Organisation (Cobeo) and the South African Bus Employers Association (Sabea) started in January. SARPBAC includes the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu)‚ Transport and Allied Workers Union (Tawu)‚ National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the Tirisano Transport and Services Workers Union. Employees want a 12% wage increase‚ while employers are offering a 7% increase‚ a 7.25% increase in 2019 and a 7.3% increase in 2020, with a basic minimum wage set at R6‚070. Numsa is...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.