At least 350 workers at a multinational aviation seat manufacturer Aerodyna in Cape
Town are up in arms with the management after security guards allegedly set dogs on
striking workers, seriously injuring one contract worker.
And in a dramatic turn, The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA)
regional organizer Fizel Carelse was briefly arrested, reportedly for trespassing and
questioned by the police who were summoned by the company management. Carelse
came into the company to put down fires and negotiate with management after workers
downed tools in protest against the employment of contract workers.
Aerodyna human resources director Anne-Marie Bosman reportedly provoked a wildcat
strike at the Strand Beach factory last week after she unilaterally enlisted a labour broker
to provide the company with 90 contract workers. These contract workers were
ostensibly offered higher job grades and better wages more than the permanent
employees.
NUMSA Western Cape region has filed a notice to call a legal strike after management
bluntly refused to cancel the new contract with the labour broker, Carelse said.
“Management alone is to blame for further disruptions and work stoppages because it
refused to terminate the contract with labour broker and disregarded negotiations with
unions on the requirements to outsource some of the operations,” Carelse said.
NUMSA felt that the company by rejecting to engage labour unions on outsourcing
further threatened job security, non- compliant with Labour Relations Act and this will
ultimately lead to the slow death of the trade unions.
The company has further barred NUMSA organizers and shop stewards from conducting
meetings with workers within the company premises. When workers marched out in their
numbers to continue with their meeting on the streets, company management ordered that
senior officers should monitor closely the workers meeting and video-recorded the
meeting proceeding.
NUMSA is shocked and deeply astonished by the local management’s conservative
attitude and myopic approach to workers’ justifiable demands for consultations on any
outsourcing of some work operations which is in line with LRA requirements.
Mziwakhe Hlangani
NUMSA national information officer
Cell: 0829407116
E-mail address: mziwakheh@numsa.org.za