The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is pleased to announce the end of the strike at Macsteel. Members of NUMSA embarked on strike from the 22nd of August because Macsteel forcefully retrenched workers, for refusing to accept the lousy retrenchment package of R40 000, which the company imposed on them. This triggered an indefinite strike and the unions demand was that Macsteel must re-instate all the workers it forcefully retrenched, back into the company.
NUMSA is pleased to announce that all workers who were forcefully retrenched have been placed in jobs within Macsteel, and that they have retained their full benefits, wages and conditions. Only five workers who did not take up the vacancies which were offered, opted to take their packages. The the union has resolved to meet with these workers to ascertain whether indeed that is their final position on the matter, and to make sure that they understand that that whatever job they had chosen at Macsteel, even if it was a lower position/grade, the union has ensured that they will not lose their salary scale in terms of grades.
The union wants to take this opportunity to thank all its members, Shopstewards and NUMSA staff who led from the front in mobilising workers and stood with them on the picket lines where workers exercise their constitutional right to strike, in order to enable a peaceful strike. This remains proof that unity is strength, and the slogan, “united we stand divided we fall”, remains true.
The union embarked on this strike as a last resort after Macsteel refused to consider meaningful alternatives which the union advanced in the section 189A consultation process. This includes Macsteel’s refusal to pay workers a decent severance pay package, something the union condemns in the strongest terms. NUMSA is of the view that government should intervene through the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) where it must set a minimum standard for severance packages which is fair, so that companies cannot pay lower than the minimum floor.
It should not be tolerated that employers can pay workers empty Voluntary Severance Packages in the name of voluntarism this is abuse. It is NUMSA firm view that greedy bosses must be stopped particularly when they exploit workers for years. Workers sell their labour and the bosses maximise profits during boom time, and they discard them through retrenchments with empty packages. This behaviour of bosses of treating workers like slaves as Macsteel has done, by offering workers a louse forty thousand rand is criminal.
The union negotiated and reached an agreement with Macsteel management. We are now announcing the end of the strike. Workers will resume work on Monday the 8th of September 2025.
Ends.
Issued by Irvin Jim
NUMSA General Secretary
For more information, please contact:
Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
NUMSA National Spokesperson
083 376 7725
phakamileh@numsa.org.za
NUMSA Contact Details:
Tel: 011 689 1700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial
Twitter: @Numsa_Media
Website: https://numsa.org.za