Speaking at a media conference, Samwu Greater Johannesburg Region deputy chairperson Vuyani Singonzo said the union was representing the Piotrans’ dismissed employees at the bargaining council. Singonzo said the conciliation process started on 23 March and was extended to 30 days to allow parties to mediate and resolve the mass dismissal of the drivers. He said that on 24 March parties started negotiations.
“As a result of the conciliation process, Samwu has successfully negotiated the reinstatement of 65 employees by the agent [Letsamaiso] operating under the Reya Vaya BRT system,” Songonzo said.
He added that the conciliation which is still underway with the employer, was with regards to the remaining employees. Meanwhile, the union’s provincial organiser Menzi Luthuli highlighted that although they reached a settlement with the employer they were still busy discussing the conditions of reabsorbing the reinstated employees.
When the strike began on 2 February, Benny Makgoga, director of City of Joburg service promotions stated that demands by the strikers had not yet been presented to the City Council of Joburg by Piotrans and they were never made public. Even the union refused to divulge the reasons behind the strike.
When asked about the issue, Luthuli could only say, “The employer is aware of the issues but the matter is now with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), we can’t disclose those issues. We agreed with the employer to allow the negotiation process to continue at the bargaining council.”
He added that the union was optimistic about positive results. However, he said the employer’s version that they were not aware of the imminent strike until the drivers abandoned the buses in the Joburg CBD was not true. “The fact that on the day the buses were abandoned in the CBD, the employers had people ready to take the buses, [this] shows that [Piotrans] knew about the strike,” Luthuli said.
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