The giant metalworkers union has strongly warned that employers in the motor retail industry run the risk of losing credibility to thousands of its company members, for rejecting agency shop demands.
Jakkie Olivier, executive director of the Motor Retail Industry said a dispute certificate issued this week would be urgently reviewed. The industry further threatened the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) with legal action if the union issued a 48-hour strike notice to challenge the industry’s reviewal process.
While, Numsa declared a dispute against RMI for refusing to accede to an agency shop agreement, it had no intention of embarking on disruptive strike.
“But, it has dawned on us that the motor industry is provoking acrimonious relations and unwanted protest actions. RMI, has conceded that over 12 years it has frustrated internal dispute resolution mechanism to resolve agency shop agreement, and thus displayed their preparedness to stuck their guns until chaotic strikes on the matter ensued,” Numsa national motor sector coordinator Sam Tsiane said.
RMI has told lies that Numsa “put unlawful demand” for agency shop on the industry because it did not have necessary representativity to negotiate on the matter.
The industry, obviously misinformed members of the public by furthering “untruths and blatant lies” through insinuating that agency shop subscriptions by non-union members were meant to benefit Numsa alone, instead of enhancing collective bargaining and improving workplace dispute resolution training processes in the industry as a whole.
The Department of Labour has issued a certificated to prove that Numsa has the majority membership and nothing in terms of the Labour Relations Act prevented the union from negotiating its demand for agency shop.
Numsa wants the issue to be settled with urgency after 12 years of negotiations.
Whilst it (Numsa) declared a dispute on the matter, no threats, bullying tactics, even interdicts will stop metalworkers from achieving its objectives of ensure that workers get protection from exploitation by the capitalist dictatorship.
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For further information contact:
Mziwakhe Hlangani, national information officer
@ 082 9407116 or
E-mail: mziwakheh@numsa.org.za
Web site: www.numsa.org.za