COSATU supports striking bus drivers 18- 07 - 06

COSATU supports striking bus drivers

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is giving its full backing to 280 bus drivers employed by the Attamelang Bus Company in Mafikeng, who are on strike against an arrogant employer.

The members of SATAWU are striking in protest at the imposition of unilateral changes in working conditions without any consultation with the union. The changes include:

· Paying wages monthly instead of weekly
· Cutting the number of drivers on long-distance journeys from two to one
· Abolishing the subsistence allowance for long journeys

The company which operates 70 bus journeys a day around Mafikeng, Zeerust and Rustenburg, has also dismissed three workers, and is using workshop staff to drive buses, even though the CCMA strike certificate covers all the company’s employees.

The employers are former TGWU trade union members, who bought the company in a BEE deal, but have proved to be as bad as any other bosses.

COSATU in the North West, as part of its Jobs and Poverty Campaign, is throwing its full weight behind the strikers, who are determined to stay out as long as necessary until this arrogant management meet their demands.

For further information, please phone the COSATU NW Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe, on 082 304 4055