Tshwane BRT operator interdicts bus drivers strike

Workers are striking allegedly over an employment equity programme gone wrong, but the drivers vowed to continue striking.

A Re Yeng bus drivers downed tools on Wednesday morning because a programme to achieve employment equality – under which 33 -women were recruited last year to be trained as bus drivers over six months – had allegedly collapsed.

The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) in the Tshwane region confirmed that the union had “seen” the court interdict but said A Re Yeng management had failed to deliver it to them accordingly.

Samwu roads and transport regional representative and City of Tshwane bus depot shop steward Skhumbuzo Nkosi said nothing had been resolved with management so far and the strike continued.

“The management just pasted the interdict on the walls outside the offices and never gave it to us. So we will continue with the strike action until our demands are met,” Nkosi said.

Under the allegedly failed programme, A Re Yeng would have increased the number of drivers from 44 to 77 by adding the 33 female trainee drivers recruited in May last year.

The female drivers, according to Nkosi, were supposed to begin working on the new route from the Pretoria CBD to Wonderboom on Tuesday, March 1. The bus service on that route had since been postponed to begin on March 15, and would have complimented the existing Pretoria CBD to Hatfield route.

Nkosi said the programme had run into complications when the company changing management late last year. The money to train the female drivers had run out and they had been “let go”.

Samwu demanded that all 33 female drivers, who were on a R6000 a month stipend until fully employed, be reinstated immediately. The male drivers went on strike in solidarity with their female counterparts.

Nkosi said the new management had also asked the male bus drivers for their matric certificates, and they believed their jobs were being threatened because they were recruited from the taxi industry with the full knowledge that they did not have such qualification.

“These women were encouraged to resign from their jobs to be part of this programme with a promise of better-paying employment. Some were nurses and others were paramedics.” Samwu could not now look on and do nothing when people were being exploited, Nkosi said,

The affected female trainee drivers declined to comment, saying the matter was being handled by Samwu and was now before the court.

Tshwane municipality spokesperson Lindela Mashigo was not available for comment despite numerous attempts on Friday.

A Re Yeng issued a statement on Friday morning, saying: “Please note that our buses are still not running due to the strike. We urge you to make alternative transport arrangement. Management continues to engage the drivers for a resolution in the matter. We apologise for any inconvenience.”