Golden Arrow Bus Services will operate as normal on Thursday after a court interdict prevented a planned strike by the National Union for All Sectors (NUFAS).
The strike was linked to a dispute over disciplinary processes at the company, with the court ordering employees to report for duty according to their normal rosters.
Speaking to VOC News, United Commuters Voice Provincial Secretary Patrick Lugogwana says commuters would have faced serious consequences had the strike gone ahead.
“This is the majority of commuters that are getting affected here. Their livelihoods are disturbed in a whim because of the company not finding each other with the unions,” Lugogwana said.
He says a strike would also have placed additional pressure on already strained taxi and rail services, potentially causing overcrowding and loss of income.
Lugogwana also questioned whether additional taxi capacity would have been enough to accommodate Golden Arrow passengers.
“The taxis will make money in the main, but they will not be able to consume everyone that would be expected to go to work at a specific time,” he said.
He has called on Golden Arrow and NUFAS to resolve their differences through dialogue, saying commuters should not bear the consequences of labour disputes.
Photo: Facebook/ Golden Arrow Bus Services
