The trade union Solidarity signed a wage agreement with energy giant Sasol on Friday, ending a three-day strike that involved over 1 000 workers and much acrimony.
The workers will now be entitled to a 9,5% salary increase retrospective from July 1 with a further service increment of 0,5% during January 2004.
Solidarity said that while it was happy with the agreement, it would still ask Sasol to set up a commission of inquiry to look at the underlying reasons for the employees’ dissatisfaction.
Said Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann: ”There is a negative climate present at Sasol which led to the strike.
”We want to resolve this unhappiness in partnership with Sasol.”
According to Hermann employees were furious with Sasol because it wanted to deduct the production bonus of five days for every day the workers were on strike.
”At the end management decided to only deduct one day’s production bonus for every day of the strike.
”There are still a number of issues that are worrying us, but I believe we will be able resolve it in partnership with Sasol,” Hermann said. – Sapa