Strike looming at X-Strata
Wage talks between Numsa and chrome company X-Strata based at Rustenburg have reached an impasse.
This follows the company offer of 8,75% against the union demand of 10% for the lowest paid workers. The union is also demanding a two-year agreement, a one hour meeting every month and upgrading of skills for the lowest paid workers.
The parties will meet again on July 26 for conciliation under the Engineering Bargaining Council. Workers have vowed to strike if all means to resolve the deadlock fail.
STOP PRESS: Workers to strike from July 29
LATEST: Municipal workers to down tools July 27-29
SAA strike grounds customers
Businessmen found themselves grounded after South African Airways (SAA) flights to and from South Africa’s airports were cancelled, when 3 600 members of the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) and others went on strike. The Satawu members comprise cabin crew and ground staff. SAA was offering 5% while Satawu is demanding 8% across the board. Workers want a share of the airline’s massive increase in profits. ————————————————————————————————————————-Pick’n Pay workers want to pick more pay!
After six months of negotiations with Pick’n Pay, members of the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu), started their strike on July 22 over wages.
The company is offering an increase of R310 per month or 7,9% whichever is the greater. The union was demanding an increase of R400 per month or 12% whichever is the greater.
Members believe that their demand is fair and reasonable:
trading profit increased by 15,9% between 2003 and 2004 and 24,1% between 2004 and 2005.
BriefsWage negotiations for filling StationsThe next meeting to discuss new wage rates for those working in filling stations will take place on July 28. See the next Numsa News for details.
Pick ‘n Pay’s CEO was awarded an increase of 19% taking his package up to R12 million.
during the last financial year it gave its shareholders a dividend of 20.8%.
Cosatu urges all its members and supporters to do their shopping anywhere except Pick’n Pay until their management come to their senses and make a realistic pay offer to these underpaid workers. Cosatu Weekly——————————————————————————————————————————————
Watch your polony!
One thousand workers at meat processing company, Eskort, are on strike over wages. Workers who are members of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) and the South African Equity Workers’ Association (Saewa) in Estcourt and Heidelberg – 90% of workers at both plants – downed tools after the company delayed wage negotiations and then offered 0%.
The union is demanding an 8% wage increase which is close to the average industry settlement. Management’s recent counter offer of 3% includes conditions to review the bargaining unit so as to exclude supervisors from union participation, to extend hours of work to 45, and to refuse to make permanent, casual workers that form the majority of workers. As Numsa News went to print, the company had brought in scab labour.
Trucks block N4 in solidarity with tollgate strikers
Truck drivers were the first to respond to toll workers’ requests for solidarity strikes as the toll gate strike action entered its sixth week on July 22. Truck drivers based in Mpumalanga joined forces with their toll gate counterparts, blockading the N4 road by abandoning their trucks on the highway near Nkomazi Plaza 50 km from Nelspruit.
At least 20 trucks and trailers blocked the road, forcing traffic to either go back or seek other routes. The trucks, left for over six hours, from midnight to 6am , were abandoned with their trailers and goods.
There was drama as Nelspruit police sprayed teargas in the area in a bid to get control of the situation.
But the police action could not change anything because the drivers were not in their vehicles.
Cosatu Weekly
STRIKE SETTLED: Workers get 6% backdated to March 1. Minimum wage raised to R1000.
Eskom gravy train
Dumisa Ntuli
As Numsa News went to print, workers at Eskom power utility company had just accepted a wage offer of 6,5%. This wage offer comes at a time when 11 managers and directors received R70 million in pay packages.
The Eskom CEO’s pay packet rose significantly to total R13 million for the 15 months ending March 2005, from R4,98 million in the 12 months ending December 2003. His annual pay packet is made up of an annual salary of R3,8 million, a performance bonus of 2,8 million and a once off payment of R4,2 million. Nine divisional managing directors will divide R56,8 million amongst themselves.
The union has condemned the pay packages of managers and directors in that they expand wage disparities, since an ordinary worker earns R46 000 per annum. The money could be saved to create an extra 300 jobs at the company over the next three years.