WATCH: Numsa’s steel industry strike erupts in Durban

THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) began its national strike on Tuesday, October 5. The union demands an 8% wage increase for workers.

Numsa members marched along King Dinuzulu Road to the Durban City Hall as part of their #NationalEngeeringStrike.

The organisation also held strikes in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, the Free State and the Northern Cape. According to the secretary of the KZN branch of Numsa, Mbuso Ngubane the march will head to the offices of Metals and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) on Tuesday.

Also read:WATCH: Shembe church march goes viral on social media

“NUMSA has deadlocked with all employer associations in the engineering industry, including NEASA, SEIFSA, SAEFA and the CEO. We are left with no choice but to strike and to withhold our labour indefinitely until the bosses give into our just demands. Bosses in the engineering sector do not want to give anything back to workers. They selfishly benefitted from the sacrifice which workers made last year, when a standstill agreement was signed, and no increases were given, in order to cushion the industry against the ravages of the Covid-19 virus,“ he said.

Ngubane said they are renegotiating this year. He said their bosses have forgotten about the sacrifices that workers and their families made for the engineering sector.

In case you missed it: Students join silent protest to fight GBV

“We will not budge to make a meaningful offer. We are calling on and demanding that employers must put on the table an 8% increase across the board for the first year and CPI + 2% improvement factor for the second and third year. If CPI +2% falls below 6%, employers must offer 6% or re-open negotiations. This will break the deadlock and avert a strike. If the bosses in the sector cared at all about the fragile economy, they would put a meaningful wage increase on the table. We reject the accusation that NUMSA is threatening the recovery of the economy by embarking on a national strike. If anyone is threatening our economic recovery it is these selfish employers who are rampant exploiters, and who give nothing back to workers, whose labour is the key to the success of the organisation, “ he concluded.