Pretoria - Contingency plans have been put in place to ensure services are not disrupted should members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) embark on a sympathy strike in support of Joburg Metrobus drivers.
The union has said that it would on Thursday embark on a strike in solidarity with the Metrobus driver's strike which entered its fifth week on Monday.
Negotiations between the bus drivers and the company collapsed last week.
Metrobus had proposed a system where workers would advance every five years and reach the top end of the scale in 20 years, while the union proposed that workers receive their first increase after three years and reach the top of the scale after six years of service.
"We are trying everything we can to avert the strike, but if it goes ahead we have contingency plans in place," said City of Joburg spokesperson Nthatis Modingoane.
Last week, Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane urged Samwu and Metrobus to ensure that the strike comes to an end. She said government was committed to ensuring all people involved were consulted.
Meanwhile, Metrobus has assured its commuters that it will not increase its fares as a result of the strike.
