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15 August, 2001German DaimlerChrysler workers and their General Works Council will refuse a transfer of production from South Africa to Germany.
SOUTH AFRICA/GERMANY: Following newspaper and radio interviews in which Christopher Kopke, chief executive officer of DaimlerChrysler South Africa, threatened a transfer of production of C-class cars to the company's Sindelfingen and Bremen plants in Germany, the chairman of DaimlerChrysler's General Works Council, Erich Klemm, declared that DaimlerChrysler workers in Germany and their Works Council representatives will not be willing to accept transfer of production from any plant on a legal strike.
The auto strike, organised by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and involving DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Delta/General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen, began on August 6 and is now well into its second week. The auto companies are still sticking to their offer of a 7.5 per cent wage hike, against the union's proposal of 12 per cent.
In a letter to Numsa's general secretary, Silumko Nondwangu, the chairman of the DaimlerChrysler General Works Council states categorically his condemnation of "the attempt of DaimlerChrysler South Africa to threaten a production transfer in order to influence legal collective bargaining conflicts." In addition to refusing a production transfer, Klemm declared that they would not accept overtime either, to compensate production losses due to such a strike. "We demand," said Klemm, "that the representatives of DaimlerChrysler South Africa use their influence to bring the employers' delegation back to the bargaining table to reach an acceptable compromise to solve the conflict."
The IMF has urged all its affiliated organisations, representing 23 million metalworkers worldwide, to show solidarity with the striking South African autoworkers.
The auto strike, organised by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and involving DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Delta/General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen, began on August 6 and is now well into its second week. The auto companies are still sticking to their offer of a 7.5 per cent wage hike, against the union's proposal of 12 per cent.
In a letter to Numsa's general secretary, Silumko Nondwangu, the chairman of the DaimlerChrysler General Works Council states categorically his condemnation of "the attempt of DaimlerChrysler South Africa to threaten a production transfer in order to influence legal collective bargaining conflicts." In addition to refusing a production transfer, Klemm declared that they would not accept overtime either, to compensate production losses due to such a strike. "We demand," said Klemm, "that the representatives of DaimlerChrysler South Africa use their influence to bring the employers' delegation back to the bargaining table to reach an acceptable compromise to solve the conflict."
The IMF has urged all its affiliated organisations, representing 23 million metalworkers worldwide, to show solidarity with the striking South African autoworkers.