Putco expected to be fully operational on Monday

The Public Utility Transport Corporation (Putco) is expected to resume operations on Monday after the wildcat strike which saw services disrupted and commuters stranded.

On Friday morning the company said it was quiet at most of its depots.

Spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said buses were not operating and they are planning to resume on Monday.

“We still need to see the staff complement we have left and come up with a plan of how we operate on Monday, while we are looking at how we can get back on a full service.”

Workers embarked on an unprotected strike on September 1, demanding that the company pay money and bonuses owed to them after a 6% wage agreement signed in 2020, Sowetan reported.

The company dismissed 105 workers after it issued a notice of intent to dismiss and gave workers the opportunity on Wednesday to submit representations.

“About 400 workers submitted representations for themselves and 500 were covered by the union. In total we had a representation of about 900 people saying why they should not be fired, how they are not participating in the strike and are willing to go back to work.”

After that process, Putco obtained a second court interdict on Thursday which prevented workers blocking entrances to the company’s Gauteng depots.

Xulu said they would reimburse passengers who had to pay for alternative transport to commute to work.

“There are some people who told us they want a refund and their main reason was that we are not operating and they don’t know when we are going to operate. So they need to fund their taxis and other alternative modes of transport,” he said.

“We know we will be able to [resume operations] because the police will be able to help us and at the same time our private security is there to mitigate against any challenges.”

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