All the Gautrain bus services remained suspended on Thursday morning, due to an illegal strike action by bus drivers, the Bombela Concession company said.

“The drivers left us with no choice but to evoke urgent disciplinary measures that will start this morning,” spokesman Errol Braithwaite said.

“We can no longer tolerate the behaviour of drivers that hold the company and our customers at ransom by acting in a way that is outside the law. It is unacceptable for them to think they can act this way.”

On Wednesday afternoon, the drivers ignored an ultimatum that required them to return to work by 3pm. A court interdict was issued last month compelling drivers to return to work.

Braithwaite said the drivers launched their own court application to block disciplinary hearings but their application was dismissed by the Johannesburg Labour Court. Some of the drivers were fired.

He said the drivers were not represented by a union anymore because they could not be moderated.

“This makes negotiations difficult. Satawu tried to be a moderating influence.”

The Gautrain bus drivers, who used to be members of the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu), had left the union and were now acting independently. Satawu confirmed this on Wednesday.

Braithwaite said the company would do whatever it took to ensure a skeleton service on key routes as quickly as possible.

Last month, drivers went on strike because they wanted MegaExpress to provide them with transport from their homes to their place of work every day. – Sapa