Durban - ONCE bitten, twice shy, say Durban Transport bus drivers as they continued their strike into day four yesterday.
The drivers said they would keep striking because promises were repeatedly made to them, but nothing came of them.
They wanted eThekwini Municipality to manage their buses again because they no longer wanted to work for Tansnat, where an official allegedly told them to do as they were told or leave or be killed.
Drivers also alleged that Tansnat was scrambling to keep the service running by rehiring drivers it had fired earlier in the year, and those on strike had been approached to sign new contracts.
Tansnat chief operating officer Vickesh Maharaj said a meeting with the mayor to discuss the memorandum drivers gave him is scheduled for today and would include company management, unions and their members.
“There have been engagements with the striking staff on Wednesday and yesterday for them to return to work, and they remain on strike and are awaiting the meeting with the mayor today,” said Maharaj.
He said they were not rehiring drivers dismissed in January.
One driver said they would rather die of hunger than work for Tansnat.
He said buses ran out of diesel, they were not paid on time and were not getting paid for overtime work, among a list of grievances.
The driver alleged that five colleagues had been shot - four had died and the fifth was severely injured.
An inspector later allegedly told them to resign or be shot if they did not follow orders.
“We cannot work for such a company. It would be better if Tansnat left, so we can remain and work for people who can treat us well.
“We’re sick and tired of Tansnat - they should just leave.”
Another driver said they were not paid their salaries until they closed the roads on Monday.
“Once we strike, the employer calls us to a meeting and makes empty promises. If we take our foot off the gas now, we will lose out.”
He said the company promised salary increases and other benefits only to get them back to work, because nothing materialised.
Another driver said he had been a Durban Transport employee for many years and had watched the change from municipal management to Remant Alton in 2003, to Tansnat in 2009. He said drivers would not return to work until they worked for the municipality.
He said it was the third time they had downed tools, but this time they would not go down without a fight.
“We will not return to work until we are under the eThekwini Municipality, get a worthy salary and workers’ rights. We don’t have subsidies, we don’t have houses,” he said.
Daily News