The first industrial action campaign in the history of Saldanha Bay company, Duferco Steel Processing (DSP), took place on December 20-21 2005 , when between 60 and 150 workers went on strike. Workers downed tools unhappy over a range of issues.
Although all of the departments did not participate, the unhappiness across the plant was mutual. The area most affected was the production department, which almost shut down. Those staff not on strike worked up to 18 hours a day to keep production going.
A Numsa spokesperson said that unresolved issues had been simmering for a long time:
workers wanted the collective agreement in the company abolished – they felt it was only for the benefit of the Company,
workers complained of lack of development and recruitment of black and female employees showing that skills and equity in the workplace was not up to standard
the dictatorship and attitudes of supervisors in the company and the way that the workforce are being handled,
transport allowances and housing allowances were not adequate.
Numsa called off the strike after General Manager Steyn de Vos assured the workforce that he would address these matters urgently after January 4.
As Numsa News went to print, both parties were trying to resolve the issues at the Metal Industries Bargaining Council.
Duferco Steel Processing is a joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Duferco Switzerland . DSP SA was established in 1998 and was in full production by the turn of 1999. Each party has a 50% share in DSP SA. The Company is seen as a “Green Project” because it adheres to high standards in its environmental and quality systems. Duferco Steel Processing has various clients locally and internationally, to which it supplies high quality steel.
RETRENCHMENT BRIEFS
Goodyear
Low productivity in Goodyear’s South African plant and inability to compete with other Goodyear plants in other parts of the world in terms of quality, cost and delivery are responsible for the retrenchments taking place at Goodyear in Uitenhage.
That is the message Goodyear management gave to workers last year saying that it would have to retrench 90 hourly workers and 20 salaried staff.
So far more than 50 workers have opted for voluntary severance packages (VSP) leaving just 42 that will have to be forcibly retrenched.
Numsa has accused the union of using the VSP process to circumvent real negotiations required by section 189 of the LRA.
Meanwhile, the union has succeeded in organising 300 casual workers.”We are now engaging with the company with one purpose of making these workers permanent,” says Goodyear full-time shop steward David Baartman. “If these engagements fail, industrial action will be taken against Goodyear.”
Continental
At Continental Tyres, 180 workers have lost their jobs. The court has ruled that a further 39 workers that it retrenched in the same week must get the same benefits as the 180 workers. But Goodyear has taken the court ruling on review. This means that these 39 workers can only receive their bonuses, leave pay after the outcome of the review.
Continental says that the retrenchments were unavoidable because it is faced with similar problems of lack of competitiveness as Goodyear.
Numsa has vowed to blacklist the company accusing it of targeting black workers for retrenchment despite their long service. White workers with little service and who had been trained by the black workers were left off the list. The union said it was not a coincidence that in the consultation process, white trade union Solidarity had been the first to agree to new shift patterns that would have done away with extra pay for work on weekends. Transnet off the rails
Strike action by Transnet workers across the country left trains standing empty and commuters battling to get to work. Transnet workers are demanding that they receive assurances that their jobs and benefits will be safeguarded in the restructuring process