The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Tuesday stated that it is preparing its members in petrol stations, component manufacturing, car-dealer shops and panel-beating shops for strike action after wage negotiations failed.
The trade union said it is preparing for the large-scale mobilisation of 180Â 000 workers.
Numsa added that it will table a notice at a meeting on Tuesday for a strike to take place on September 1.
The wage talks are scheduled to continue until Wednesday. The union declared a dispute three months ago with the Fuel Retailers’ Association and the Retail Motor Industry after employers failed to give a wage offer for all workers.
Numsa is demanding a wage increase of 10% for grade seven and eight workers and 12% for grades one and six workers as well as R10 per hour minimum wage for all workers.
Among the union’s demands are a night-shift and afternoon-shift allowance of 20% as well as a 40-hour week.
The trade union also wants a three-year agreement that workers knocking off after 8pm should get free transport. It has demanded that area wage differentials must be removed immediately with four weeks’ bonus at the end of 12 months.
“We have taken an aggressive strategy against motor retail employers. There is no positive outlook since the talks started three months ago and workers are furious,” Numsa spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli said.
He added that there is no value in talking when the results are not encouraging and there is no wage offer.
“We want to ensure that the wage increase is tied to real improvement of workers over and above what they can attain. Workers are paid pittances. It is very heartbreaking to realise that workers in the motor retail sector are paid less than old-age pensioners.”
“Therefore, there should be a mechanism for action to promote change in the industry. This requires the union not to make excuses but fight to turn things around. The minimum wage policies in the industry are perverse and counter-productive,” Ntuli said. — I-Net Bridge
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