End of MyCiTi strike in sight?

File photo: David Ritchie

File photo: David Ritchie

Published Feb 25, 2015

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Cape Town - The end of the ongoing MyCiTi strike may be in sight as bus operating company Transpeninsula and striking South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) members are set to meet on Wednesay.

Transpeninsula said it had asked the CCMA to intervene in the ongoing bus driver strike – now in its third week.

This will be the first time since the strike commenced that the parties will meet.

Satawu members went on strike over working conditions and union rights, among other issues, Satawu official Brightness Matwa said.

“The meeting is a sign of progress on our side. It is an indication of a situation where we are nearing a conclusion to the strike.

“If the parties resolve this issue, that will be the end of the strike,” Matwa said.

Transpeninsula director Ghaalid Behardien said his company decided to approach the CCMA last week in an effort to bring a swift end to the strike and begin negotiations.

“We initiated this because Satawu has not been interested in coming to the negotiation table. So we went to the CCMA and said please arbitrate this matter,” Behardien said.

He claimed Satawu had made no effort to engage with the company.

“Their stance is they will only return to the table if we give in to their demands,” he said.

He said the drivers on the unprotected strike had been without an income for three weeks.

“The impact of the strike has lessened considerably. We are operating at about 90 percent efficiency.

“Only six of our trips weren’t covered this morning (on Tuesday),” Behardien added.

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Cape Times

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