Bus strike finally ends
Thousands of frustrated commuters will be rejoicing at news that buses will start rolling again on Tuesday.
Reya Vaya Buses parked in Soweto depot in Soweto, 18 April 2018, as a national bus strike affected services in Johannesburg, 18 April 2018. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The crippling national bus strike has finally come to an end and normal services will resume as early as tomorrow (Tuesday morning).
More than 17 000 drivers left commuters stranded countrywide for more than three weeks.
After agreeing on a 9% salary increase on Friday, bus drivers and employers were unable to agree on the backdating of the increase, which was the final sticking point.
“We say it should be effective from 1 April 2018, but the employers say the increase is effective on the day of the signing [of the agreement on 11 May],” said Zanele Sabela, spokesperson for the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, the majority union in the strike.
They eventually agreed that the backdating would be to April 17, when the strike began.
The unions met on Monday to consider their options. They had also accepted an 8% increase for the second year, effective 1 April 2019.
The strike was entering its fourth week.
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