2 December, 2010Numsa demands improvements in wages and working conditions from BHP Billiton and warns of strike action after three months of stalled negotiations.
SOUTH AFRICA: The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the union representing the majority of workers at BHP Billiton, announced its continuing dispute with the company after protracted negotiations over wage increases and improved working conditions reached a deadlock in August 2010.
The negotiations, which began in April 2010, are to reach a one-year agreement since the two-year agreement expired on August 30, 2010. After the deadlock BHP Billiton chose to coerce workers to accept the wage settlement reached with an alternative union, Solidarity, of 7.5 per cent increase.
Numsa's demands on wages and improvement in working conditions at BHP Billiton are consistent with the union's National Bargaining Conference (NBC), which seeks to reverse a trend of the deepening plight and suffering of industrial workers evidenced in racialized income and a widening gap between the lowest paid worker and a senior manager.
We have clearly observed that the BHP Billiton elites are hell-bent on their continued intentions to retain and reproduce racialised and poverty wages in an effort to consign workers to the same old apartheid employment conditions.
Numsa is demanding:
- 12 per cent wage increase across the board;
- 50 per cent employer contribution to the Medical Aid scheme;
- 12 per cent Shift Allowance;
- R50,000 (US$7,165) gratuity pay;
- R50,000 (US$7,165) study assistance in the event of retrenchments;
- Total banning and prohibition of Labour Brokers;
- Six months full paid maternity leave; and
- Full-time Health and Safety Shop stewards.
"We strongly believe that these demands by workers can be achieved by BHP Billiton, given the fact that there was a hostile effort to take-over Rio Tinto and Potash Corporation," said Numsa general secretary Irwin Jim. "This clearly demonstrates that BHP has the financial muscle to meet the demands of workers," he added.
The union remains open for negotiations, but warns that the failure of BHP Billiton to consider the union's demands will result in widespread strike action.