February 28, 2003
By Thomas Thale
STRIKING Metro Bus drivers on Friday converged on Transportation House, the headquarters of Metrobus in Braamfontein, to hand over a memorandum outlining their demands.
On the second day of the strike, the drivers, wielding placards and chanting slogans, blockaded Raikes Road, in front of the company headquarters as they listened to fiery speeches from union leaders.
The memorandum was handed over to Asokan Naidoo, Managing Director of Metrobus, who promised to treat it with urgency.
The bus drivers on Thursday heeded a call by the two representative unions, the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu), to embark on a strike in protest against the newly introduced shift system. The drivers went on strike in December when the shifts were first introduced.
In their memo, the workers demand that the company change its shift system which, they claim, makes them work up to 16 hours a day. "We have families and responsibilities to attend to," the memo says.
Union leaders address members in front of Metro Bus headquarters
Apart from the shift system, the workers raised other demands in their memo. They demanded that the company stops all dismissals and suspensions and withdraws all pending cases against workers. They also called on all workers who are currently on temporary contracts to be given full-time contracts, complete with benefits.
They also accused the company of sowing divisions within their ranks.
In accepting the memorandum, Asokan Naidoo, undertook to discuss the contents of the memorandum with his board and respond promptly. "We will give serious and urgent attention to the issues you raise and come back to you," he said.
Naidoo welcomed the indication from the unions that they are ready to resume negotiations, saying he was "heartened by the development". He however expressed surprise that the unions were raising issues which had never been tabled before.
Meanwhile, the strike appears to be a boon for taxi operators in the city, who are cashing in on the vacuum left by the buses. Long queues were reported at major ranks around the city, with bus commuters seeking alternative modes of transport.
