Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) on Thursday said the planned strike action by a group of workers at its parts warehouse in Gauteng will have no effect on the main manufacturing plant in Uitenhage, where more than 6 000 people are employed.
Communications manager Bill Stephens said the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has advised VWSA management that 65 hourly paid workers at the company’s parts and accessories warehouse in Alberton will start with strike action on April 19.
Numsa is demanding that packing activities outsourced to a logistics service provider in February be performed by VWSA employees.
VWSA confirmed that certain packing activities were outsourced after lengthy discussions with the union, in order to improve efficiency and accountability.
Stephens pointed out that the 19 VWSA employees involved, however, have not lost their jobs or any benefits, but have been redeployed to other jobs at the same rate of pay within the warehouse.
He added that the outsourcing has, in fact, created additional jobs.
VWSA said that while it accepts that the workers have a right to embark on strike action, the company also has a right to protect its interests and those of its customers. It has plans in place to ensure that the warehouse continues to operate and that VWSA customers receive the parts they require while the Numsa strike is on.
Numsa has issued a 72-hour notice for a protected strike action at the VWSA Roodekop parts distribution centre.
It said the strike will start on April 19 and will involve 67 workers, and not 65, as VWSA stated.
This comes after the union conducted a ballot and 90% of the workforce overwhelmingly voted in favour of the strike action.
The union said the strike has been triggered by the unilateral outsourcing of the packing department at the parts distribution division to a labour broker.
According to the union, the company has failed to resolve the three-month dispute amicably and workers have no other option but to embark on action to stop outsourcing.
More than 4 000 workers from the VWSA Uitenhage plant are expected to participate “in solidarity action”. — I-Net Bridge