A final settlement to end the three-weeks- old strike in the tyre and rubber manufacturing industry is expected tomorrow(Tuesday).
This hinges on Port Elizabeth-based Goodyear tyre manufacturer releasing Wednesday (15 August, 2007) its final plan on how it intended to phase out 150 labour brokers.
The company has in turn agreed to absorb about 100 contract workers into its permanent staff complement, out of the total of 250 employees hired under labour brokerages.
Employers’ New Tyre Industry Association are offering wage increases ranging from 8,5% for the lowest paid workers, 8% across-the-board and 7,5% for those earning above the maximum grade levels.
Talks continued in the midst of divisions within the industry with some employers expressing willingness to up their offer, others claiming that they contributed highly competitive and unequalled provident fund contributions.
Almost 6 000 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) in six major tyre manufacturing plants including Goodyear, Continental, Firestone in Port Elizabeth and Dunlop factory in Durban, Ladysmith and Bridgestone in Brits, North West downed tools in July to demand 10% wage increases.
Other outstanding issues also include equalization of the provident fund contributions by employers to 10, 5% which will be finalized in the next round of wage negotiations next year
Numsa demanded among others the scrapping of the labour brokers in the industry, shift allowance increases of between 20%-15% shift allowances for night and afternoon shifts respectively.
The shop stewards council over the weekend held report back meetings to decide on the settlement package offered by the employers in a last minute bid to find a resolution to the prolonged strike, according to Numsa auto and tyre national chief negotiator, Herman Ntlatleng.
For further information contact:
Mziwakhe Hlangani, Numsa national spokesperson
Cell phone: 082 9407116
E-mail : mziwakheh@numsa.org.za