The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) support the indefinite strike tomorrow (Tuesday) by 10 000 members of the South African Municipal Workers of South Africa (Samwu) against Cape Town municipality.
Numsa has noted that the disruptive municipal workers’ strike came about as a result of the intransigency displayed by the Mayor of Cape Town and Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille in rejecting to honour the union’s national collective bargaining agreements.
We regret that DA is taking us back to the old- apartheid era where the employer would implement new conditions of employment and reduce salaries willy-nilly and refuse to negotiate with the union.
Zille is to blame for the disruption of service caused by the strike and she has to take full responsibility for any troubles and difficulties that crop up as a result of the strike action in the City of Cape Town.
The Cape Town municipality management has exposed itself as noting else but the “most racist, backward and untransformed institution” bent on eroding all the human rights and workers’ gains achieved by labour in the new dispensation. It is unacceptable that employers decide to relocate staff, reduce their salaries and withdraw bargaining council agreements when they feel like.
More than 30 000 Numsa members in Cape Town will join forces with the Samwu members in the march to the Civic Centre tomorrow in Kaiser’s gracht, Cape Town.
For further information contact:
Mziwakhe Hlangani, Numsa national spokesperson
Cell phone: 082 9407116
E-mail : mziwakheh@numsa.org.za