Automotive workers strike in Montclair
AUTOMOTIVE industry workers took to the streets of Montclair on Tuesday, 10 September in protest to their employer's suggested wage increase.
Protesters gathered on the field on the corner of Kenyon Howden and South Coast roads to discuss the day’s strike action. On Monday, the protesters visited local petrol stations urging non-striking workers to join them in their efforts to put a halt on economic activities until the employer meets their demands. The strikers vowed to intensify their efforts.
Among the protesters were petrol pump attendants as well as automotive repair and workshop staff.
The strikers, some of whom donned National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) T-shirts, chanted slogans ‘qina msebenzi qina’ (stand firm worker stand firm) and ‘amandla awethu’ (the power is ours). They left the fields in song as they made their way to Clairwood, in the hopes of recruiting more workers to their cause. The workers sang in unison ‘join the struggle’ as they made their way down the streets.
Negotiations with the Fuel Retailers Association and the Retail Motor Industry Organisation reached an impasse in July‚ with employers offering 5.6% while Numsa asked for double-digit increases‚ improved shift allowances and the banning of labour broking.
The union had also demanded a R30 an hour pay increase in all sectors by 2016 for workers earning more than R6‚000‚ a night-shift allowance of 20%‚ and an afternoon shift allowance of 15%. Petrol attendants are reported to be currently earning up to R700 a week. Even though Numsa represents 70‚000 of the sector’s 300‚000 workers‚ workers who were not part of the union had a legal right to join the strike.
The strike action will result in a R600-million loss of revenue per day. Workers are planning to join mass strike action on Thursday in Durban.
-mbalim@dbn.caxton.co.za
