Castro Ngobese, spokesperson for Numsa, says that they have called for their members to intensify their strike.
He adds that should employers continue with the reckless actions and making unreasonable demands, they may be left with no option but to call for targeted solidarity action in all their sectors.
“This is seriously under consideration,” says Ngobese.
According to him, workers are not stupid, nor do they enjoy losing their “hard-earned miserable wages”.
“Only a very insensitive racist can claim that black and African workers, who suffer daily in their townships and shacks because of their colonial and racist wages love to be on strike and desire to destroy the South African economy,” adds Ngobese.
Prior to the strike and since then, Numsa national leadership and bargaining team members have been engaging in negotiations with bosses with the objective of securing a settlement as swiftly as possible.
“In Numsa we always approach strikes very seriously precisely because we know that the hardships of our members are doubly multiplied during strikes as they suffer the double effects of inferior colonial wages and then, simultaneously during strikes, they lose even these inferior earnings for the duration of the strike,” he adds.
He says that despite their productive attitude during the negotiations, employers have adopted a very conservative and backward stance.
“They are determined to maintain the Apartheid colonial wage structure as their accumulation strategy is based on exploitation.”
Ngobese says that their members are very clear that if employers want a three year agreement, they must meet the workers’ demand of double digit increases which should be on an ascending scale.
Failing this their members will settle for nothing less than 10 per cent for each year.
“Numsa is on record as saying that we do not condone or support violence and intimidation during strike action.”
News from Boksburg
On Monday morning, July 14, one striker was arrested outside Bell, on Griffiths Road, when he attacked a worker with a stick.
According to Lieut Juanita Coetzer, communications officer for the Boksburg North SAPS, the suspect took cash and was arrested.
“He will be charged and is expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrates Court soon,” she says.
Spokesperson for Macsteel, Lilianton, says that 200 to 300 strikers vandalised their premises at about 10am the same day.
“They broke down the gate, threw stones at the windows of the guard room as well as breaking the electronic access reader.”
He adds that they entered the premises but did not get into the factory.
No one was hurt. – @CarmenBoksburg and @FanieBoksburg
