17 September, 2010The two week nationwide strike by motor industry workers has ended after the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) reached a negotiated settlement with employers.
SOUTH AFRICA: Numsa, representing 70,000 garage, workshops, dealerships and components workers nationally, says workers are paying the price for the capitalist global economic crisis through short-time and temporary lay-offs and the use of labour brokers in the workplace, while facing rising costs in basic goods and services.
Unable to reach an agreement with employers after a prolonged four months of negotiations, workers went on strike on September 1, 2010. According to Numsa's national spokesperson, Castro Ngobese, "Our strike has been taking place amidst high levels of intimidation, provocation, threats of dismissals and torture of our members... Already thousands of our members will be appearing in various courts across the country to defend their just and noble cause of fighting for a living wage."
When the union returned to the negotiation table, Numsa stood firm on three principles: there should be no downward variation on the existing industry agreement, the new agreement should not be less favourable than the current one and guaranteed wage increases must be achieved.
Negotiating parties also agreed to concrete first steps towards phasing out labour brokers in the industry and agreed to establish an industry policy forum to deal with the future viability and sustainability of the motor industry.
All outstanding substantive matters have been referred to a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) managed process with the exception of those pertaining to the fuel retailers sector. Numsa will address poor working conditions and poverty wages in the fuel retailers sector through a tripartite structure set up to deal with these matters.
For a more detailed account of the strike and negotiations, see the statement from Numsa on the IMF website here.