SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council engages unions to avert nationwide Easter bus strike

The South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council says it is committed to reaching an agreement with trade unions amid threats of a nationwide bus strike ahead of the Easter weekend.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is demanding employers, represented by the South African Bus Employers' Association and the Commuter Bus Employers Organisation, put a “meaningful” wage increase offer on the table.  

If the strike goes ahead, about 39 companies nationwide will be affected. 

Wage negotiations have been ongoing since January through the bargaining council. Numsa, which represents 20,000 workers in the transport sector, declared a dispute in February. 

General secretary of the council, Gary Wilson, said negotiations are underway with Numsa, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and the Transport and Allied Workers Union (Tawusa).

“We are engaging all the parties and as a bargaining council, we have a responsibility to ensure we exhaust all avenues to get the parties to reach a settlement,” he said.

“We can’t afford a strike in the industry, not at this stage. The industry can’t afford it, the economy can’t afford it.” 

He said any strike was damaging, but especially now the sector is approaching the Easter weekend, when the demand for public transport increases.

“We have a lot of companies who rely on income during this period [Easter weekend]. It is difficult to quantify because some of the companies that used to be in business before are no longer there. Those that are still there are under strain to provide transport and if there is a strike, it will have a negative impact because people will not be able to travel.

“We will constantly continue to negotiate with all the relevant stakeholders to find the middle ground, so that we can avert this strike,” he said.  

Satawu, with an estimated 4,000 members in the sector, is hoping for a settlement. Its spokesperson, Amanda Themese, said: “Yesterday [Tuesday] there was a meeting and today there is a meeting, and probably tomorrow between the commissioner and the unions. We are hoping that something tangible will come out of it. We hope for a positive outcome.”

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