The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) march to the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) in Randburg, 27 October 2020. NUMSA and it's members in the motor sector in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KZN, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape were called to participate in a national march to protest against the Retail Motor Industry (RMI). Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) gathered in their numbers yesterday to picket for an 8% wage increase workers in the motor industry have not received since an agreement was signed in 2019.
Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the union was taking matters into its own hands by handing over a list of demands to the Motor Industry Bargaining Council (Mibco) after the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) failed to uphold its promises.
She said the 8% wage agreement signed by the RMI in January 2019 was long overdue and their workers have suffered enough losses.
“Our demand is simple; we want the RMI to urgently ratify the wage agreement by making sure the agreement is sent to the department of employment and labour for it to be gazetted. We believe the agreement has not been ratified due to the RMI’s deliberate attempts to frustrate the operations of Mibco, leaving thousands of employees in the motor industry and their families suffering irreparable losses.
“The RMI has shown utter disregard and disdain for workers and their families. Even in the face of a global pandemic, this employer has shown an absolute callousness for the value of human life,” Hlubi-Majola said.
The RMI blames Numsa for abusing this opportunity to promote non-employment agendas for their own benefit. In response to the demands made by Numsa, RMI Chief Operating Officer Jan Schoeman explained Mibco was in the process of convening a general meeting of councillors to ratify the agreement.
He said the claim made by Numsa about the wage agreement being signed in January 2019 was incorrect as the agreement was signed in January 2020 after numerous demands by Numsa for the RMI to do so.
“The RMI believes employees are critical to the operation of business and their contribution is greatly valued. It would be counter-intuitive and unproductive to treat employees unfairly.
“The RMI stands by the agreement concluded in January 2020 and will urge its members to implement it without delay once it has been ratified by Mibco and published in the government gazette,” he said.
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