THE Durban City bus strike continues into its second week with little change in the relationship between Tansnat and its staff.
Last week disgruntled bus drivers blocked off the N3 and roads in the city after Tansnat had failed to pay them December salaries and bonuses.
According to Tozi Mthethwa from eThekwini Municipality, the City stepped in to try avoid a crisis after Tansnat approached the municipality indicating it had a funding shortfall and could not pay its drivers. The City agreed to pay Tansnat staff, excluding its management and would recoup the funds from Tansnat. “At this point, payment to approximately 750 Tansnat staff members has been made and the verification process will continue if there are any employees who have not yet been paid. The verification process is critical to ensure that the money is paid to the right people,” said Mthethwa.
However, she said going-forward, Tansnat would be responsible for paying its workers as per its employer-employee relationship with its workers.
“The City is engaging all parties to ensure that the service resumes as soon as possible. The Municipality apologises to commuters for the inconvenience caused,” she said.
The municipality advises commuters to plan their journeys accordingly, using alternative transport arrangements.
“The municipality will communicate all updated information about the bus strike through all media platforms. We will inform commuters once the bus service is fully restored,” said Mthethwa.
