UPDATE: Striking bus drivers face DC
JOBURG – Striking Rea Vaya bus drivers could find themselves in hot water this is after Piotrans, the bus operating company for the Rea Vaya BRT system, announced that it had instigated disciplinary proceedings against the majority of its bus drivers who absconded from work.
Piotrans spokesperson Dumisani Mntambo said this follows the abrupt stoppage of bus services by bus drivers on 2 February when the bus company received, with shock, information that its drivers had abandoned buses by leaving them unattended in the middle of the Joburg CBD.
“Most of the buses were left with keys inside them and others were tampered with. This posed a huge risk to the company’s assets. Formal inquiries with the union representing the concerned workers, South African Municipal Workers’ Union, have not been answered,” Mntambo said.
He said prior to the actions of the drivers, no dispute between the company and the drivers was formally logged.
“It was a shock to us that workers took such actions without raising their grievances with us,” said Mntambo. He said the company immediately issued all drivers with instructions to return back to work, but many of them did not return.
Mntambo said as a result, the board of Piotrans on 6 February authorised the company to institute disciplinary proceedings against the affected staff and to look at measures to ensure that such actions did not repeat in the future. “The company aims to conclude the disciplinary proceedings by the end of this week,” Mntambo said.
He concluded that the company understood the inconvenience caused to commuters and wished to assure them that the company was doing everything possible to return services to normal as speedily as possible. He added that further information will be given on the outcome of the disciplinary process.
Read our previous stories,
Rea Vaya drivers on illegal strike
Gautrain bus commuters urged to make alternatives
City council apologises for Rea Vaya strike
