By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Caption: Putco workers say the strike will continue ‘until the employer feels the impact and comes back to renegotiate with workers.
Bus company Putco says its services won’t be back up and running on Wednesday as drivers continues to intensify their unprotected strike.
The strike has left commuters in Soweto and Pretoria high and dry, forcing them to make alternative commuting plans.
The workers are demanding a 6% salary increase and bonuses from 2020.
It has prompted Putco to turn to the courts, which last week granted the company an interdict.
Putco spokesperson, Lindokuhle Xulu, said there still appeared to be no end in sight.
“Unfortunately, there is no end in sight for those that are embarking on an illegal strike because as I speak to you, I’m seeing some reports that they have in fact returned to some of the bases of our business unit, the Putco depots and they are essentially doing what they did yesterday, which was to blockade, to burn tires and stop some of the workers who are not on-site from entering some of our facilities,” Xulu said.
Putco said that it was working to resolve the issues at play and the striking workers had now been issued with notices of intention to dismiss them.
The trade union SATAWU’s national convener Alfred Buboko says no agreement could be reached with Putco during a meeting on Friday.
“We approached the company in terms to intervene as we cannot just fold our arms, irrespective of knowing that it is not the union that started the illegal strike action. We have tried to intervene, approached management last week Friday, tried to arrange a meeting with them to see how best we can bring the issue of unprotected strike towards the end. Unfortunately we couldn’t reach common ground on that matter on Friday.”
Bukoko says the company is unwilling to negotiate.
“Management made it clear on Monday that they are not going to communicate with unions anymore and they are not intending to come to the table and address this issue with trade unions. So far they are going to issue dismissals, but we are going to respond right now to the letter that has been issued to us as trade unions.”
Putco has given its workers who are on an unprotected strike until the close of business on Wednesday to explain why they should not be fired.