Pretoria – The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has called off a planned nationwide bus strike in order to enable negotiations to take place on the revised offer proposed by the employer.
Numsa spokesperson Phamakamile Hlubi-Majola said that decision was taken after engagement meetings with employer associations in the bus passenger sector, the South African Bus Employers Association (SABEA) and the Commuter Bus Employer Association (COBEA).
“We met yesterday (Monday) and again today (Tuesday) for mediation under the auspices of the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC).
“The employers have proposed a percentage increase of 4.5% across the board, and this includes allowances. They have also agreed to withdraw the threat of only implementing increases for those workers who are currently employed as of March 31, 2022, which means the increases would also be applicable to those who join the company after.
“Had they done this, it would have created a two-tier system where some workers earn more than others for the same work. This was a major sticking point in negotiations, and we are glad the employer is proposing to withdraw that demand,” she said.
Hlubi-Majola said the union did not agree with the proposal, however, they will be engaging with their members over the proposal.
“We will be spending the next couple of days engaging with our members all over the country in order to get a mandate on the proposed offer. We will be meeting again with employers on the 22nd of April to give them feedback.”
She added that the possibility of strike action remains, as long as the union has not signed an agreement with the employer.
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