CAPE TOWN, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on Wednesday threw its weight behind an ongoing strike by bus drivers across the country.

The union federation said the strike, organized by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and other unions, was to ensure that workers get decent salaries and that their working conditions be improved.

Bus drivers downed tools on Wednesday morning to press their demand for wage increases. Public transportation nationwide was paralyzed as a result. The bus companies affected include Golden Arrow, MyCiTi, Rea Vaya and Putco.

In Cape Town, thousands of commuters were stranded, many of them being forced to wait for hours in long queues. Their frustration was fueled by a late afternoon rain. Many commuters were drenched.

The strike is already putting a strain on the country's vulnerable and dysfunctional public transport system.

Negotiations on wage increases have dragged since January, with unions seeking a 12-percent across-the-board increase while employers only offering seven percent.

COSATU called on the Department of Transport to intervene and work to ensure that the bus companies that are beneficiaries of state subsidies take these negotiations seriously.

"It is unfortunate that the intransigence and the unreasonable attitude of the employers will inconvenience thousands of workers and commuters and also impact negatively on the economy," COSATU national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.

COSATU fully supports the legitimate and fair demands of the unions and calls on the employers to accede to these demands to avert a long and devastating strike, said Pamla.

Taken into consideration the recent value-added tax (VAT) increase, fuel levy rise, the implementation of road accident levy and an upcoming electricity tariff hike in the near future, COSATU encourages all workers and their unions to fearlessly fight for decent salary increases during this round of wage negotiations, Pamla said.

He said the terrible working conditions of the bus drivers have contributed to road accidents in South Africa, which is among the countries that have the highest road fatality rates.

In the just-ended Easter holiday, 510 people died on South African roads, a 14-percent increase from last year's figure of 449, according to official figures.