Pretoria - The Gauteng South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has given Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo two days to intervene in the ongoing Metrobus driver's strike.
Metrobus drivers went on strike a week ago to protest against a new shift schedule, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
SAMWU spokesperson Tahir Sema said should Masondo fail to respond, members of the trade union within the City of Joburg will withdraw their labour on Monday.
"We call on the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councilor Amos Masondo, to show leadership and intervene in the matter between SAMWU and the management of Metro Bus."
Sema said a notice had been served in this regard and they also intended to petition all municipal owned entities to join the strike if the employer did not concede to their demands.
Negotiations between the striking bus drivers and the Metrobus management reached a deadlock earlier this week. This afternoon, Metrobus will approach the Labour Court to give a ruling on whether the strike is legal or not.
SAMWU is accusing Metrobus management of changing working shifts without negotiating with the workers, while Metrobus is accusing the union of failing to accept the "reasonable" offers they have put on the table.
Tahir said SAMWU was demanding the employer reinstate the old shift system that was in place prior to 6 December last year.
The trade union is also threatening to strike if their seven dismissed members are not reinstated with immediate effect.
On Monday, the City of Ekurhuleni fired seven members of SAMWU who were facing disciplinary action for assaulting the presiding officer and the municipality's legal representative at the disciplinary hearing.
