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The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) met with employers in the bus passenger sector today. We met together with other recognized unions as parties under the auspices of the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC) at City Lodge at OR Tambo Airport to sign the wage agreement. Employer associations the South African Bus Employers Association (SABEA) and the Commuter Bus Employer Association (COBEA) were also present.  We recently narrowly avoided a national strike in the bus sector during the Easter weekend. 

However, today we are pleased to announce that we have signed an above inflation wage agreement for workers in the bus passenger sector and it is broken down as follows: 

• Wage increases of 6% across the board. This increase will also extend to all allowances and benefits.
• The 6% increase will mean that the minimum rates will be raised by 6%.
• We defeated the agenda to introduce a two-tier labour market, where new workers will be denied an increase. Instead, employers agree that all new workers will be eligible for increases, even if they join after 31 March 2022.  
• The agreement is a 1-year agreement and it is effective from the 1st of April 2022. This means that workers’ salaries will be backdated and they are likely to receive their backdated pay, on the new rates, at the end of May.

This agreement is an above inflation increase (inflation is currently at 5.7%) and the lowest paid workers will certainly benefit, especially those on minimums. 

We are grateful to our officials who worked extremely hard to secure this agreement on behalf of NUMSA members. We also thank our members for being loyal to their demands to the point where they secured an improvement on their wages and conditions - this is their victory! 

Aluta continua!

The struggle continues!

Issued on behalf of NUMSA by NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim