Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) are expected to hold general meetings at all car manufacturers this week to mobilise workers for what the union describes as inevitable strike action.
This comes after wage negotiations between Numsa and the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation hit a snag after employers stuck to the original 5,5% wage offer and rejected all other union demands.
The negotiations sought to determine the wage increases of 21 000 workers in the car manufacturing industry.
Numsa is demanding a guaranteed wage increase of 10% across the board, a three-year wage agreement and that training takes place during working hours.
Among other demands are 100% paid maternity leave and that for every artisan there be four apprentices.
The union is also demanding that staff working under labour brokers be employed permanently after three months, any bonus should be calculated at 11% and that employers provide anti-retroviral drugs to employees living with HIV/Aids and give them a 30-day sick-leave cycle.
The employer organisation has requested another meeting to consider improving the wage offer. Numsa has accepted the request and the parties are expected to meet again on June 15 for the final round.
“We gave employers enough chance to reciprocate on the union demands but to our disappointment they are only concentrating on the wage issue. Even the increase is too little to improve the living standards of motor car workers,” Numsa spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli said.
Ntuli added that the talks have reached a perilous phase with employers unprepared to change. — I-Net Bridge