The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Monday stated it will now mobilise all 180Â 000 workers in component manufacturing and at petrol stations, car dealers and panel-beating shops for an indefinite strike that will take place from September 10.
The trade union said in a statement that this comes after the Fuel Retailers Association and the Retail Motor Industry reneged on an in-principle agreement reached between the parties two weeks ago.
The motor retail employers have offered an increase of 7,5% for all workers and the union has resorted to its original wage demand.
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 a 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 be removed immediately with a four-week bonus at the end of 12 months.
Numsa spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli added that the main point of dispute is about the failure of the employers to agree to an agency shop agreement that will put an end to free riders in the industry.
The parties will meet again on Tuesday.
“We thought there was an agreement until employers informed the union last week that they would not sign any agreement that has any agency shop clause. Workers feel frustrated because they hoped that parties would conclude the agreement,” Ntuli said.
The union had earlier threatened a strike on September 1.
“The strike date has been shifted. We have to start again mobilising workers for September 10. There was bad faith bargaining by the motor retail employers. There was no concession and we were deceived by employers. We cannot listen knowing that there are sharp disagreements on crucial and sensitive issues,” he argued.
Ntuli said that the Numsa had tried to “bring about a spirit of cooperation and renewed sense of commitment” but “sadly employers were uncooperative”.
“In this regard, the conduct of employers in respect of the stalemate stands in stark contracts to what they always preach about good responsible bargaining. In this context, there was no moral courage to avoid the strike but a deceptive pursuit of industrial conflict by motor retail employers.
“We must now push for a strike to teach employers that hypocritical practices and double standards cannot be appreciated. We believe that there is no sober determination by the employers. Clearly the union has no other option but to make the situation difficult for employers,” Ntuli said. — I-Net Bridge