By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
In an act of fury, 105 workers were shown the door on Thursday for staging a wildcat strike at Putco bus service head office since last week, demanding a 6% wage increase and backpay in bonuses since 2020.
Putco’s spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said the workers were dismissed for misconduct, intimidation, and blockading entry and exit points at Putco depots, preventing employees from entering and leaving the premises.
Sixty-seven of them are driver conductors and 38 are technical staff.
According to Xulu, the number could change depending on those who are still not willing to go back to work.
The dismissal follows a disciplinary process and the reviewing of the representations of 1 000 employees about why Putco should not dismiss them for taking part in the strike.
Employees had until Wednesday afternoon to submit their representations.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has called for the department of transport to intervene in the Putco strike after the bus company threatened to dismiss 1,000 employees.
“We condemn the management of Putco for abusing the courts in this manner with a frivolous application. They should be engaging unions with the view of resolving this impasse, not launching applications in court,” said Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim.