Johannesburg - A national strike by bus drivers which has crippled commuter services entered the sixth day on Monday, as negotiations for salary increases continued.
Commuters across the country have had to make alternative arrangements to get to their destination after the strike began on Wednesday. Many have had to incur additional costs as they had already purchased long term bus tokens they now cannot use.
Bus drivers, led by trade union South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), are demanding a 12 percent salary increase across the board, while employers are offering seven percent.
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Satawu has been joined by the Transport and Omnibus Workers Union‚ the Transport and Allied Workers Union of South Africa and the Tirisano Transport and Services Workers Union in the strike.
At various ranks on Monday morning in central Johannesburg, including the Bree and Noord taxi ranks, commuters stood in extraordinarily queues waiting for their rides to work as buses remained inoperational.
Negotiations were due to continue on Monday at the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration.