The Democratic, Municipal and Allied Workers’ Union of South Africa (Demawusa) has warned that its wage dispute with Metrobus will remain unresolved as long as management continues to be arrogant.
Commuters using Metrobus services in Johannesburg have been forced to continue to use alternative transport as wage talks between unions and management of the bus company remain deadlocked.
More than 30 000 commuters have been left stranded. This as a strike by Metrobus drivers who are affiliated with the Democratic, Municipal and Allied Workers Union of South Africa enters its third week.
The union is demanding an 18% salary increase, but Metrobus management says it cannot afford this.
Demawusa spokesperson Deon Makhura says despite management’s arrogance, they are ready to return to the negotiating table.
“They do not want to talk to us. On Friday we went to court. They took us to court to interdict the strike, they lost. On Monday I tried to call them to come to the table. Yesterday I tried they said they didn’t want. It’s not that we are not flexible, if they don’t have 18%…then they should come so that we can talk.”
“We dealing with a management that is arrogant. We say to MetroBus they must start behaving in a mature way or there won’t be any busses in the streets of JHB”#DEMAWUSA GS pic.twitter.com/7V9E0NSFsb
— SAFTU (@SAFTU_media) May 10, 2021
In the related video below, stranded Metrobus commuters speak to SABC:
