Johannesburg - No back-up service was available for the
Gautrain bus service which remained suspended on Friday morning, due to an
illegal strike by bus drivers, the Bombela Concession company said.
"Unfortunately, in the short period of the illegal
strike the drivers from the skeletal bus service were intimidated and are
unhappy to continue working," spokesperson Errol Braithwaite said.
"The disciplinary procedures that started yesterday,
(Thursday) are currently underway and we hope it will be completed by the end
of business today so we can discuss the way forward."
Braithwaite said they had locked the striking drivers out of
the depot in Midrand.
"We are not going to let them in until the issues are
resolved. It is difficult to have meaningful discussions with the drivers who
are not represented by a union anymore," he said.
The Gautrain bus drivers, who used to be members of the SA
Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu), had left the union and were now
acting independently. Satawu confirmed this on Wednesday.
Braithwaite said they could no longer tolerate the behaviour
of the drivers who held the company and customers at ransom by acting outside
the law.
On Wednesday afternoon, the drivers ignored an ultimatum
that required them to return to work by 3pm. A court interdict was issued last
month compelling drivers to return to work.
Braithwaite said the drivers launched their own court
application to block disciplinary hearings but their application was dismissed
by the Johannesburg Labour Court. Some of the drivers were fired.
Last month, drivers went on strike because they wanted MegaExpress - the Gautrain bus operating company - to provide them with transport from their homes to their place of work every day.