MBOMBELA – Despite the on going national buses’ strike, it is a normal working day for Buscor employees.
This follows a proposed nine percent wage increase put on the table by their management on Tuesday afternoon.
Also read: Buscor offers employees 9 percent salary increase
“We haven’t signed any agreement although we agreed to continue working. We still stand at the 15 percent increase. We haven’t even negotiated on the 9 percent yet,” clarifies Mr Million Gama, Numsa’s representative.
“We cannot say we have accepted or declined the 9 percent proposal. Union representatives from all three unions where Buscor employees are affiliated, including Numsa, Satawu and Tawusa are still to present this proposal to their members to get their views, but so far the workers haven’t given us any answer, they seem to be confused on whether to accept it or not,” he says.
Also read: Buscor offering only 7,5 per cent increase to drivers
The least paid employee receives around R4 000 a month with the long serving employees receiving not more than R15 000 monthly. Unions demand a minimum wage of R8 000, long distance and cross border allowances.
He says talks between unions and Buscor management were still continuing even this morning.
Mpumalanga News learnt that Buscor buses from all its depots in Malalane, Komatipoort, White River, Barberton and Nelspruit continued to work on Wednesday.
Some of the drivers said:
“We think the nine percent offer is far better than the initial seven percent increase and the seven and a half percent,”said a bus driver who spoke on condition of anonymity since he is not the spokesperson for drivers.
He added that the 9 per cent increase will see him being paid almost R9 800 a month.
Buscor’ s spokesperson, Mr Vuyani Ndlovu says negotiations between the three unions representing employees are still continuing on the new offer of 9 per cent wage increase put on the table by Buscor.
He added that an agreement had been reached with shop stewards for their buses operate as usual Wednesday.