Photo: Masixole Feni/GroundUp
MyCiTi bus
The nationwide bus strike which left commuter stranded this week has ended following an extensive consultation process, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa's general secretary, Irvin Jim, said on Saturday.
The majority of unions had reached an agreement on Friday but Numsa was still negotiating.
Labor Minister Mildred Oliphant announced on Friday that the strike was over, Fin24 reported.
In terms of the constitution of the Bargaining Council, if the majority of trade unions participating in collective bargaining reach an agreement, a strike can be called off.
Jim said the union had to accept "a sell-out deal for the sake of industrial peace and stability in the sector, and we therefore urge all our members to return to work".
"It will take time for all our members to return to work. We expect that by Tuesday all our members should be back at work. We also want to remind the employer that we will not tolerate any victimization of our members for their participation in the strike."
He said Numsa would continue putting pressure on the Department of Labor to do proper oversight in the bus passenger sector.
"The fact that our members, even under the new wage agreement, will continue to be exposed to dangerously long hours without compensation is shameful.
"We are inspired by our members who demonstrated great courage and determination during the course of the strike," Jim said.
This event told us that the Department of Labor must give the reasonable wage agreement for t members,or they will union to revolt. Only reasonable wage system will bring industrial peace and stability in the sector.
