Traffic was brought to a standstill in central Johannesburg on Thursday as nearly 15 000 metalworkers marched for better wages.
Pritchard and Simmonds streets were cordoned off to traffic as demonstrators proceeded along the two streets.
The protesters, affiliated to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the United Association of South Africa (Uasa) and Solidarity, were marching to the offices of the Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of South Africa (Seifsa) on Anderson Street.
The workers were protesting against Seifsa’s offer of a 7,1% wage increase. The unions are demanding 12%.
The march came ahead of a meeting between the parties at the Metal and Engineering Bargaining Council on Friday to discuss a possible new offer by the employer.
Solidarity’s secretary general, Johan Pieterse, said the march was meant to demonstrate the unions’ dissatisfaction with Seifsa’s offer.
”If Friday’s meeting with Seifsa does not resolve our differences the metal industry can prepare itself for a full-scale strike,” Pieterse said.
The march was led by Numsa secretary general Slumko Nondwango, Uasa secretary general Marius Langman and African National Congress provincial executive member Sipho Mkhize.
They were expected to hand over a memorandum to officials at the Seifsa offices. — Sapa