Corobrik workers strike for ‘equal salaries’
As management, we already have a negotiable salary package in place and are just waiting for the negotiations."
Over 170 workers from Corobrik Glencoe embarked on a peaceful strike due to salary grievances not being met by management. Phumelele Twala, Regional Treasurer of AMCU (Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union), told the Courier that “they have been speaking with management since last year October and in January took the matter to the CCMA”.
Muzi Majola (Phahla), Regional Education in AMCU, said that “we, as workers, are not happy with the basic salary and are demanding a minimum salary of R3 500 as workers are only getting paid R1 910.70, which is way less compared to the salary of Corobrik workers in Johannesburg”.
Mr Majola showed the Courier a payslip of a general worker in Johannesburg who earned R4 392 in 2016, “I’m quite certain that this employee is earning more now,” he said. The employees at all Corobrik branches do the same kind of jobs and work the same hours, but the AMCU workers need to know why their salaries are less compared to the other branches. A supervisor who wished to remain anonymous said: “I’m here because I feel that all workers should be treated fairly as we all work for the same company”.
“We will strike until July if we have too – until our voices are heard,” said a determined Cebo Khumalo, a general worker at Corobrik, Glencoe. Dirk Meyer, Corobrik’s managing director, said that “we will negotiate wages with the workers as they were supposed to get their annual increase in January, which hasn’t happened as we had this ongoing case with the CCMA”.”Human Resources and company reps spoke with the Union AMCU, but they rejected the offer”. Regarding the difference in salary, Mr Meyer explained that the Johannesburg salary rate is higher than the Glencoe rate ‘due mainly to the fact that they produce face-brick products’.
“If we were to pay them the same rate the company wouldn’t be able to run the factory for the entire year. As management, we already have a negotiable salary package in place and are just waiting for the negotiations.”
A meeting between the union and management is scheduled for next week Tuesday, February 27.
