Pretoria – Management of the Tshwane Bus Service has sent a message to inform “loyal commuters” that operations have been suspended from Tuesday afternoon, due to an illegal strike by South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) affiliated members.
City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the Samwu members are allegedly aggrieved about overtime payments and salary increases.
“The city’s management will institute labour processes to ensure that bus drivers return to duty and that normal operations resume. In line with the collective agreement, the city’s labour relations unit will issue a letter informing the Samwu regional office to direct its members to return to work within 48 hours,” Mashigo said.
“The city apologises profusely to commuters who have been adversely affected by the strike and advises them to make alternative travel arrangements.”
Mashigo said further developments will be communicated to the commuters in due course.
In April, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) arrested a City of Tshwane employee, attached to the Tshwane Bus Services’ C de Wet depot, for allegedly stealing diesel from parked buses.
TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the employee was being monitored for a while before the officers “pounced on him”.
“The employee’s modus operandi was monitored for some days, and he was watched while draining diesel from buses in the depot’s workshop. When TMPD officers pounced on him, he was found in possession of about 100 litres of diesel drained from the buses,” Mahamba said.
Mahamba said the man was charged and detained at Pretoria central police station.
IOL