Rea Vaya bus operations resumed yesterday afternoon after a three-day strike that left more than 35,000 daily commuters in Soweto and Johannesburg stranded.
About 240 bus drivers, who are all affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), returned to work after the Labour Court in Johannesburg granted PioTrans, the employer, an interim order to interdict the striking workers.
The company, which is contracted by the City of Johannesburg to run the bus service on its behalf, lodged an urgent interdict on Monday - the day the strike began - to force the drivers back to work.
Piotrans' Dumisani Mntambo confirmed the service's resumption. Although Samwu's shop steward Lucky Khumalo corroborated his statement, Samwu's organiser in the bus sector Dion Makhubela said the interim order did not mean the strike was over.
"It only means that the matter brought by the employer was urgent. We are still going to argue why we want to go on strike and the company will present its argument as to why we should not," Makhubela said.
Both parties are expect to meet again in the Labour Court on November 15, when a final ruling on the matter will be made.
The drivers downed tools on Monday following a dispute at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration last Friday.
They were demanding that their salaries be on par with that of dispatchers, that their shifts be readjusted and also that their provident fund contribution be backdated to August 2009.
The industrial action saw the company lose R600000 a day. - xabav@sowetan.co.za
Rea Vaya drivers back at work - for now
Rea Vaya bus operations resumed yesterday afternoon after a three-day strike that left more than 35,000 daily commuters in Soweto and Johannesburg stranded.
About 240 bus drivers, who are all affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), returned to work after the Labour Court in Johannesburg granted PioTrans, the employer, an interim order to interdict the striking workers.
The company, which is contracted by the City of Johannesburg to run the bus service on its behalf, lodged an urgent interdict on Monday - the day the strike began - to force the drivers back to work.
Piotrans' Dumisani Mntambo confirmed the service's resumption. Although Samwu's shop steward Lucky Khumalo corroborated his statement, Samwu's organiser in the bus sector Dion Makhubela said the interim order did not mean the strike was over.
"It only means that the matter brought by the employer was urgent. We are still going to argue why we want to go on strike and the company will present its argument as to why we should not," Makhubela said.
Both parties are expect to meet again in the Labour Court on November 15, when a final ruling on the matter will be made.
The drivers downed tools on Monday following a dispute at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration last Friday.
They were demanding that their salaries be on par with that of dispatchers, that their shifts be readjusted and also that their provident fund contribution be backdated to August 2009.
The industrial action saw the company lose R600000 a day. - xabav@sowetan.co.za
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