Pressure mounts in Numsa wage talks

SOUTH AFRICA: The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has indicated that should mediation fail in auto industry wage negotiations, the union will embark on an indefinite strike, with approximately 70,000 workers downing their tools across the industry. Numsa is demanding a 10 per cent across-the-board pay increase, as well as an agreement on an agency shop to ensure that non-union employees pay a subscription to unions operating in a company. Union spokesperson, Dumisa Ntuli, insists that many workers in the car industry are getting poorer because companies have not adjusted wages to keep up with the rising costs in food prices, thus contributing to a steady erosion of workers' purchasing power.