The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has lashed out at Ekurhuleni metro police’s “unprovoked attack” on protesting strikers outside a British multinational company in Germiston today(Thursday) at 7:30 am.
At least 10 striking workers were today(Thursday) admitted at Rose Achres private clinic, in Germiston after sustaining serious injuries from a hail of rubber bullets fired by police contingents alleged dispatched by Ekurhuleni by Ekurhuleni Metropolitan.
Striking motor component supply industry workers were conducting peaceful picket demonstrations outside Johnson Mathey factory in Germiston when police showed aggression and fired rubber bullets on groups of picketing legal demonstration.
Numsa is livid with anger at these “irresponsible actions, high-handedness and irrational behaviour displayed by the metro police. We will investigate to its logical conclusion the motivation behind these attacks and police brutality against metalworkers’ irreprehensible right to lawful desmonstrations and strike. The company denied that it invited police to act against demonstrators.
Worsening the resentful and acrimonious situation is that the company refused striking workers the right to picket within its demarcated precincts, but displayed at the same time opposition to workers’ demonstration on the open grounds, outside the front gates.
The South Africa Police Service has opened dockets against the Ekurhuleni metro police after the company and Numsa shop stewards and other eye-witnesses have made statements at the Elsburg police station in Germiston.
Numsa is optimistic however, that the lasting resolution to the current wage dispute by 50 000 in the motor component supply, motor repair workshop, panel beating and vehicle retail sectors as negotiations continue tomorrow (Friday).
For further information contact:
Mziwakhe Hlangani, Numsa national spokesperson
Cell phone: 082 9407116
E-mail : mziwakheh@numsa.org.za