Peter Dickson
Representatives of the 1 300 Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) workers who were sacked in January have been lobbying for international support, while troops this week patrolled the streets of Uitenhage to keep the peace in the wake of the strike.
The employees from VWSA’s Uitenhage plant were axed after they went on strike in protest at the suspension of 13 shop stewards by the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa).
The union suspended the shop stewards for failing to comply with new working regulations agreed between Numsa and VWSA to improve the company’s export drive.
The 1 300 strikers were eventually fired by VWSA for failing to comply with an ultimatum to return to work.
The axed workers subsequently formed the Uitenhage Crisis Committee, members of which have secured the backing of German labour’s Industry of Metal Union Forum and are now seeking support in Brazil.
Members of the committee addressed 18 000 Volkswagen Brazil workers this week, attracting widespread publicity in the Brazilian press.
After the sacked workers called for a stayaway at the Uitenhage plant, 60 members of the South African National Defence Force this week joined 160 public order policemen from Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage who were dispatched to escort buses and taxis taking people to work at the plant.
The stayaway call was backed by the South African National Civics Association and the Pan Africanist Congress.