The strike at Iscor plants is likely to spread as workers in related industries get set to strike in sympathy, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said on Wednesday.
”Close to 50 000 workers in the heavy and light engineering, mining and component manufacturing (sector) will join in solidarity strike action if the primary strike at Iscor steel division remains unresolved at the end of this week,” said Numsa representative Dumisa Ntuli.
Numsa members downed tools on Tuesday at Iscor plants around the country, with the employer and the union giving conflicting accounts of the effects of the strike on steel production.
On Wednesday Numsa was calling the industrial action a ”huge success” while Iscor said it was not experiencing any overall production stoppages since, their representative said, industrial action was localised.
The strike concerns wage increases and compensation for a restructuring process at Iscor.
”The union’s claim for additional ‘hardship pay’ for corporate restructuring could be a dangerous precedent for the country’s ability to become globally competitive, since Iscor already paid employees R294-million for achieving re-engineering targets… from 1998 to 2000,” said Abe Thebyane, Iscor’s human resources director.
”In addition, we offered Numsa an initial R4,6-million — improved to R6,75-million — for all unionised employees as a once-off ex-gratia payment for ‘hardship and support’ for the restructuring, even though there is no legal basis for this.
”If we include the R26-million we will add to the employees’ wage bill as a result of implementing a new salary structure, the full package for improving wages is very substantial,” said Thebyane.
However, Numsa remained determined that unless Iscor puts a better deal on the table more workers would join the industrial action.
”The solidarity strike will be in line with the Labour Relations Act. This forms part of the National Bargaining Conference decision to act in unity to increase wages and benefits in the steel industry.
”We believe Iscor is undermining workers and not taking the union seriously. It is therefore imperative to demonstrate our strength by calling for 50 000 troops to join the strike. The company has failed to take a pragmatic approach to the talks and has undermined the seriousness of the strike action,” said Ntuli. – Sapa