A bus strike that started over late payments of wages in December and that paralysed the operations of a major route in Port Elizabeth has ended.
An agreement was finally reached on Friday between Spectrum Alert, the company which runs the Cleary Park IPTS route on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, and the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu).
The bus service from the northern areas to the city centre was suspended for almost four weeks between December and January after more than 250 workers downed tools in the wage dispute.
Spectrum Alert CEO Trevor Harper said the strike was over, barring five employees who had stoned a bus early on Monday morning.
“They were at the depot and stoned a bus despite the court interdict,” he said.
On Friday, the Port Elizabeth labour court granted Spectrum Alert an interim interdict barring the two unions representing its employees from striking.
Harper said he would meet the five employees to resolve their issues this week.
“If nothing comes from that we intend on firing them.
“If this last negation fails they will be fired.”
Harper said he had met with Satawu secretary Luyanda Mayekiso on Friday and managed to iron out all the issues raised by the union.
“They came up with a lot of things such as the taxes deducted from the employees not being paid to Sars.
“We showed the union the proof and proved this was not true,” he said.
He said they also showed the union evidence pension fund money was being paid.
“The buses are now running.
“The strike is over.
“We apologise to the public, specifically the community of the northern areas, for the inconvenience caused.”
During the strike, protesting workers clashed with the police and Spectrum Alert security guards numerous times.
The workers, who have been paid intermittently for several months, were finally paid two weeks ago after Spectrum Alert received its money from the municipality.
The late payment by the municipality was due to its computer systems being down in December.
Mayekiso said the union had advised its members to return to work on Monday.
“We had raised issues with Spectrum Alert and it was agreed for workers to return.
“However, consultations will continue going forward,” he said.
Nelson Mandela Bay IPTS bus strike ends
Image: Eugene Coetzee
A bus strike that started over late payments of wages in December and that paralysed the operations of a major route in Port Elizabeth has ended.
An agreement was finally reached on Friday between Spectrum Alert, the company which runs the Cleary Park IPTS route on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, and the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu).
The bus service from the northern areas to the city centre was suspended for almost four weeks between December and January after more than 250 workers downed tools in the wage dispute.
Spectrum Alert CEO Trevor Harper said the strike was over, barring five employees who had stoned a bus early on Monday morning.
“They were at the depot and stoned a bus despite the court interdict,” he said.
On Friday, the Port Elizabeth labour court granted Spectrum Alert an interim interdict barring the two unions representing its employees from striking.
Harper said he would meet the five employees to resolve their issues this week.
“If nothing comes from that we intend on firing them.
“If this last negation fails they will be fired.”
Harper said he had met with Satawu secretary Luyanda Mayekiso on Friday and managed to iron out all the issues raised by the union.
“They came up with a lot of things such as the taxes deducted from the employees not being paid to Sars.
“We showed the union the proof and proved this was not true,” he said.
He said they also showed the union evidence pension fund money was being paid.
“The buses are now running.
“The strike is over.
“We apologise to the public, specifically the community of the northern areas, for the inconvenience caused.”
During the strike, protesting workers clashed with the police and Spectrum Alert security guards numerous times.
The workers, who have been paid intermittently for several months, were finally paid two weeks ago after Spectrum Alert received its money from the municipality.
The late payment by the municipality was due to its computer systems being down in December.
Mayekiso said the union had advised its members to return to work on Monday.
“We had raised issues with Spectrum Alert and it was agreed for workers to return.
“However, consultations will continue going forward,” he said.
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