Residents of Rustenburg and surrounding villages in the North West have been left stranded as employees of Bojanala Bus Services went on strike.
Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Unions of South Africa (Demawusa) members embarked on a protected strike last month, demanding that the employer implement fair labour practices.
However, the employer decided to dismiss over a hundred employees.
The bus services’ Financial Manager, Lloyd Gomes, says the workers were dismissed when the company changed hands.
Gomes says, “At the end of June 30th, we dismissed all the employees. What happened in this time period from 30th June to 1st of July, Bojanala bus was taken over by new shareholder called Trans Africa Holdings, but because the employees were dismissed by the previous shareholder, we needed them to sign new fixed-term contracts with the new employer, Trans Africa Holdings in order for them to come to the books.”
One of the commuters, Nicolette Pule, who is visually-impaired, is affected by the strike action as she used to take the bus to work.
Pule says she is now forced to use costly alternative transport. “Since the strike started, I was unable to come to work because I did not have cash to come to Mogwase, as I am using R450 on a taxi to come to Mogwase, so it has affected me, whereby my leave days are now over.”
