About 11 000 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will stage a sympathy demonstration against a Germiston electrical manufacturing plant next week, the union said on Tuesday.
The protest will be carried out against the planned retrenchment of 100 workers from Alstom, the manufacturer of elements for kettles and heaters, Numsa spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli said in a statement.
”We feel that this is opportune time to call extra troops to strengthen the primary strike,” he said.
”The company remains adamant and wants to continue with heretical policies that are slaughtering jobs.
”We are on a warpath with Alstom company. We have information that the company is not under any financial constraints.
”The company is making sustained profits on the current production capacity. It is hypocritical and undesirable for the company to retrench workers,” Ntuli said.
He said the strike at Alstom started three weeks ago without any resolution and the company was not willing to negotiate with the union.
”The one-day sympathy strike will involve many companies in the Germiston area and those that are supplying Alstom,” he said.
About 1 300 workers staged a protest march to Alstom head office on Monday with the hope that the company would meet them and negotiate the planned retrenchments.
”Job losses remain a serious problem in the country. By shedding jobs, Alstom is stifling development and growth of the country.
”It therefore makes sense for workers to fight to stem job losses.”
Alstom personnel chief Johann Ellis said on Monday that 54 workers had been retrenched, following consultation with Numsa, with effect from last Friday.
Ellis said these products could, at present, be imported more cheaply than Alstom could make them.
”With the rand at its current level, further retrenchments are possible but none are planned yet,” he said. — Sapa