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A call has been made for striking workers to return to duty at Metrobus while the bargaining council deliberates.
Commuters at Ghandi Square were left stranded as Metrobus drivers went on strike
METROBUS has appealed to the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) to suspend its drivers' strike.
The City's bus company wants the strike to be suspended to allow the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) to determine the level at which salary increments can be negotiated.
"We have sought legal advice on the Labour Court's judgment and decided to launch this urgent application with the council," said Metrobus's spokesperson, Kenney Kutu.
In an urgent application launched yesterday, the company asked the SALGBC to state whether negotiations could be facilitated with its management or at the national level of the bargaining council.
The Labour Court ruled on Friday, 24 April that salary negotiations could be undertaken with Metrobus directly, and not through the bargaining council. "Our legal team studied the reasons of the judgment after it was given to them on Saturday. We then decided to launch this application with the national bargaining council," Kutu said.
Demands
Hundreds of Metrobus drivers went on strike on Tuesday, 28 April. The union had raised two demands: salary increases and a call for the suspension of a manager alleged to have improperly influenced metro police officers during a previous strike. The drivers, affiliated to Samwu, demonstrated outside Metrobus' offices in Braamfontein.
Samwu spokesperson Dumisani Langa confirmed that Metrobus had appealed to them to suspend the strike pending the outcome of the SALGBC ruling.
Langa, however, said the strike would continue as had been planned. "The strike is indefinite. We will strike until our demands are met. Metrobus did ask us to suspend it, but we cannot just suspend the strike without an offer.
"We cannot even suspend the strike on the basis that they have approached the bargaining council with that application."
The union and the company were locked in a meeting yesterday to discuss a way forward for negotiations.
Kutu said commuters would have to continue using alternative transport until the strike was suspended or ended. "At this stage I cannot tell when the buses will start operating."
As the strike enters its second day, Metrobus expects the SALGBC to make a judgment soon. Commuters can contact the call centre on 011 375 555, option six, or the marketing and communications unit on 011 403 4300 for updates.
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