CBI basks in Lesotho sunshine as Qwaqwa retrenchees starve and fritter away

Electrical distribution components manufacturer CBI (Circuit Breaker Industries) is taking it easy in Lesotho, exploiting cheap labour after laying-off 750 metalworkers in Free State.

It lastly winded down its factory operations and relocated in the mountain kingdom once it secured ministerial wage determination to pay employees in the neighbouring enclave only R150 a week in December 2007.

The company further dismissed 300 workers who were transferred ahead of the shutdown to the newly built plant from Qwaqwa after they refused to accept the reduced R150 weekly wages.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) in conjunction with local Cosatu structures, meanwhile are battling to establish co-operative to absorb penniless retrenched metalworkers into a community job- creation project.

CBI is one of the most unprincipled multinational companies which consistently demanded that it be allowed to pay poverty wages even a decade after it was exempted from paying the required sectoral minimum wages in the metal and engineering industries.

Numsa region has time and again urged to no avail the Free State MEC for Economic and Finance Affairs Neo Masitela to meet with them explore ways of dealing with the problems exacerbated by the relocation of companies in the region to the neighbouring states, regional secretary Elias Mashiloane said.

Other Numsa demands include:-

– That the provincial government move to consolidate job creation programmes, involving most departments to absorb retrenched workers in metal and engineering, textile, paper and chemical industries after companies moved to neighbouring countries.

– And that MEC for Economic and Finance Affairs refrain from attacking unions for allegedly “adopting simplistic approaches in difficult economic times” by campaigning for improved wages and better employment conditions. The company relocated after it refused to pay 674 weekly wages concluded in the industry main agreement.

For further information contact

Mziwakhe Hlangani, Numsa national spokesperson

Cell phone: 0829407116

E-mail address:mziwakheh@numsa.org.za

Source

Numsa Press Releases

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