Bus workers’ salaries are negotiated at the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council by the unions, the employer organisations‚ the Commuter Bus Employers Organisation and the South African Bus Employers Association.

The unions are demanding a 12% increase but the employers only agree to a 6.7% increase. A union spokesperson said workers are willing to settle for a 10% increase.

“We work six days a week and it’s a hectic day. We wake up early in the morning to be at the depot by 4am. We then have to take the passengers to their work by 5am. It’s a strenuous job and we are not getting paid enough‚” said a bus driver.

She said she currently earns R9‚400 a month.

“It’s too little because everything has gone up including VAT. I must make sure that I take care of my family and do everything as a mother but I can’t do that with the little money that I get‚” said the bus driver.

Read: Phala Community needs more Megabus buses amid taxi association revolt

Transport unions say that the bus strike will continue indefinitely until an agreement benefiting all workers is reached. Bus customers have been rushing to hiking spots and taxis to get to work since Wednesday.

A Namakgale resident working in town claims to have stood by Hanneville (Namakgale) for 40 minutes before catching a taxi to work.

“I get to work at 08:00, everyday but since the buses have been on strike I only get there around 09:00,” she told the Herald.

Read: BREAKING NEWS: SAMWU strike in Phala turns violent

A Mopani College student said since the bus strike she has to wake up earlier so she can get a taxi to school.

“I now have to pay R24 every day on a return trip compared to the R18 my budget allows me,” she said.

PHALABORWA HERALD interviewed some travellers, during their taxi rides.

“Now that the busses have gone on strike, taxis have become less,” said Khulofelo Mokoele as he sat in the taxi on his way to work. He said that the taxis are always in town and that he has to wait some time before a taxi gets to him. The bus station is empty as the busses are parked at their depots, and this means that other people who were making a living at the bus station are struggling to make ends meet.

HERALD spoke to one of the women who sells snacks, popcorn and juice to commuters when they get into the bus.

“I don’t know where to sell, because the taxi rank is so small and it already has people that sell there, now we just have to wait until the busses are operational again,” the women said.

She told us that she wished that there was something she could do because now she has no income, as the bus station was her only income.

Robert Jr Morgan told HERALD that he couldn’t wait for a taxi any longer as he needs to be at work by 07:30 and he has been waiting for 30 minutes.

“Bra waka [my man] I am going to hitch a hike to work now, the taxi is taking forever to arrive,” he said as he walked off.

Masungulo Mkhonto a student in Mopani College said that he usually caught the bus in the morning to school. “I had to catch a taxi this morning to school only to find that students were on strike, what a waste of my money,” he said angrily. An employer who does not want to be mentioned said, “It is a snowball effect- I have to wait for my house helper to get to work in order to let her onto the property and into the house before I can leave for work.” She said that when her employee is late she too will also be late.

“This causes problems for me with my employer, especially on days when I have to be somewhere dead on time and cannot leave as I have to wait for my helper to arrive,” she continued.

Another employer told the HERALD that, “I do not get angry with them as I understand it is their only means of transport and it is out of their control when the buses strike.”

She said that the Bus Transport System angers her because they are inconveniencing people and causing massive problems for people that make use of their service every single day.

Taxi drivers said that the strike is a big bonus for them because they now make many more rounds compared to when the were busses operational.