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Press Room Media Releases 2011
| City apologises to passsengers in respect of strike by bus drivers of Rea Vaya bus operating company - Piotrans |
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| Thursday, 01 September 2011 |
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THE Rea Vaya Phase 1A bus service continues not to operate due to an ongoing strike by bus drivers employed by Piotrans, the Rea Vaya Phase 1A bus operating company.
"The City apologises to passengers who have not been able to use the Rea Vaya bus services since the beginning of August," said Cllr Rehana Moosajee, MMC for Transportation in the City of Joburg.
"The City stands behind the Piotrans management and board that are using their best endeavours to end the strike in line with South African labour legislation", she added.
The Rea Vaya buses are owned and operated by Piotrans, a private company owned and operated by erstwhile taxi operators whose businesses were affected by Phase 1A of the implementation of the Rea Vaya Project.
Piotrans owns the buses, employ all staff required to operate the bus services, and is remunerated on a per kilometre basis to operate the timetables prescribed by the Rea Vaya Business Unit.
The Piotrans bus drivers embarked on an unprotected strike on the morning of 1 August 2011 without any prior warning causing hardship to more than 40 000 Rea Vaya passengers that would have travelled on that day.
The reasons for the strike included matters relating to shift work and wages although the workers in this sector are not entitled to plant level bargaining on such matters. These are negotiated at a central level through the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council.
Piotrans obtained an urgent interdict for the drivers to return to work and a final return ultimatum in this respect was issued for Monday 8 August at 08:00. All drivers except for 17 returned to work. These 17 drivers were subsequently dismissed.
All drivers that returned to work again embarked on a strike that same morning. Piotrans proceeded to once again apply for an interdict to force the bus drivers to return to work. The labour court heard the application on Thursday 11 August 2011.
Due to a technicality regarding the issue of the dispute not being referred within 30 days by the CCMA to the bargaining council, the court decided that the strike was a protected strike. The dispute was subsequently referred to the bargaining council, SARPBAC and a date for conciliation was set for today, 29 August 2011. Efforts to bring this date forward were not successful.
This morning the Piotrans bus drivers and union did not attend conciliation meeting at SARPBAC.
"This is very disappointing and demonstrates a lack of commitment by the drivers to find a solution to the strike," said Cllr Moosajee.
"We trust that the Piotrans management will take the necessary next steps to resolve the dispute," she added.
The City is well aware of the hardship caused for the citizens of Joburg if the Rea Vaya services are not operating. The City also has to take a responsible view regarding the fact that this is the eighth wildcat strike by the same bus drivers since the commencement of the services two years ago, and that action now has to be taken within the ambit of prescribed legislation to, not only resume the services, but to also resolve the matter in such a way as to prevent similar future wildcat strikes and so to ensure stable and dependable Rea Vaya services.
The City would thus like to request Rea Vaya passengers to give the process a little more time to be successfully completed to the lasting benefit of all, and once again apologises for the inconvenience caused by the actions of the Piotrans drivers.
Statement by:
For information on the service:
For information on the labour dispute:
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