The Johannesburg Metro Bus strike will continue on Wednesday, as the company referred the matter to the South African Local Government Bargaining Council, a spokesperson said.

Kenney Kutu, marketing manager for Metro Bus said the company has asked the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) to suspend the strike action until they received feedback from the bargaining council.

"Our human resources manager is going to the bargaining council first thing tomorrow morning [Wednesday] to hear if there are any developments. We are committed to speeding up the process," said Kutu.

He said the company decided to refer the matter to the bargaining council after its lawyers studied the reasons the Labour Court gave on its judgement on Friday, in favour of the drivers who demand a salary scale based on experience and seniority at the company.

Samwu, however, said its approximately 600 members were continuing with the strike on Wednesday, as the company had suspended negotiations.

A new pay scale?

"We are continuing with the action tomorrow [Wednesday]. We cannot have a system where a driver who is employed today gets the same salary as someone who has been with the company for 20 years," said Samwu shop steward Dion Makhura.

The union's secretary for Johannesburg Dumisani Langa said the main issue was that employees within a certain salary band were unable to move up to the next pay notch, regardless of their experience.

"Within job categories there are three notches ? minimum (pay), medium and top notch ? and most [drivers] are receiving the minimum, no matter the number of years of experience," said Langa.

"The minimum notch is around R7021 and the majority are all there. You don't move up, even if you have 20 years [experience]," he said.

Makhura added that the union will "continue with the strike until the employer comes to us with an offer".

"We are reasonable enough to consider any offer," he said.

Metro buses will not operate during the strike as the company was concerned with safety issues, Kutu said.

"We have drivers that are willing to work, but they want guaranteed safety, which we cannot offer," he said.

Commuters could phone Metro Bus's call centre on 011 375 5555, option six, for updates.