Think again if you want to take the bus on Wednesday‚ or you could find yourself stranded.

This comes after wage negotiations in the industry deadlocked last month‚ leaving commuters in the lurch. Wage negotiations between South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC)‚ the Commuter Bus Employers Organisation (COBEO) and SA Bus Employers Association (SABEA) started in January this year.

SARPBAC includes amongst the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu)‚ Transport and Allied Workers Union (Tawu)‚ National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Tirisano Transport and Services Workers Union.

Employees want a 12% wage increase‚ while employers are offering a 7% increase‚ 7.25% increase the next year‚ and a 7.3% increase in 2020 with a basic minimum wage set at R6 070.

With no indication that the demands will be met‚ a national bus strike has been called. It starts on Wednesday at 6am.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What are the demands?

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) wants:

- 12% wage increase;

- Pay for all hours drivers spend on the bus‚ if they are driving or not;

- Subsistence allowance (S&T) for drivers who are doing long distance travel and have to sleep on the road;

- Night shift allowance in compliance with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA); and

- Special allowance for workers who qualify to drive busses with two or three coaches.

Who is striking?

- Megabus;

- Gautrain busses 

- Greyhound;

- Golden Arrow;

- Putco;

- MyCiti in Cape Town;

- Rea Vaya in Johannesburg; 

- Buscor in Mpumalanga;

- Bojanala in the North West;

- Algoa Bus in Port Elizabeth;

- Mayibuye in East London;

- Go George in George;

- Areyeng in Tshwane; 

- Mgqibelo in Sedibeng;

- Lowveld Bus Company in Limpopo;

- PAL Bus; and

- Mphakathi in Mpumalanga.

Who is not striking?

- Joburg Metrobus; 

- Tshwane Bus Service; and 

- Durban Transport.

What about taxis?

- Taxis are expected to run as normal.