NUMSA has obtained a strike certificate, paving the way for industrial action. The union is demanding a 7% wage increase and improved allowances, citing rising living costs and the burden on low-income workers. Bombela has offered just 4.2%, an offer NUMSA has dismissed as inadequate and out of touch.

“We were unable to move the needle in any meaningful way, and unfortunately, we now feel we have no option but to resort to strike action,” said NUMSA Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola.

She pointed out that the lowest-paid workers represented by the union, such as cleaners earning roughly R9 000 ($486), would see minimal benefit from the current offer. “A 4.2% increase is not a meaningful improvement, especially for those earning the least,” she said.

Gautrain, a key commuter service in Gauteng province, serves nearly eight million passengers each year. NUMSA warns that only a serious wage proposal from management can avert a strike and avoid disruption for thousands of daily commuters.

--ChannelAfrica--