Solving those unresolved issues!
Numsa has also been in the news over strikes or threatened strikes. The table below gives you details of key demands won – many of them in companies where there are house agreements.
Some of the issues had been unresolved for more than five years!
|
Company |
Demands of workers |
Resolution |
|
BHP Billiton – threatened strike |
• Labour brokers – all workers employed by labour brokers must be employed permanently • The company must pay for workers’ medical aid. |
• All labour brokers now fall under the company and have been put into a pool. • The administration fee paid to the labour broker now goes to the workers; • workers also now get all the benefits that permanent workers get. • Before any new worker is employed, the company will first look at the pool of workers to see if they can employ any of them full-time. • Each year, that part of a worker’s wages that goes to pay for medical aid will increase by the percentage increase in contributions to the medical aid. |
|
Mogale Alloys – threatened strike |
• 13th cheque. • 40-hour week (workers were working 44 hours a week). |
• Won full 13th cheque. • Until December 2012 workers had a 42-hour week. From January, the week will be 40 hours. • Any hours worked over 40 will be paid at overtime rates. |
|
Evraz Highveld Steel – four-week strike |
Workers rejected a move from a three-shift to four-shift system because of: • loss of excessive overtime pay; and • some artisans lost their jobs. |
The company was being squeezed and faced closure. It agreed to: • remain with four-shift system; • A once-off R15 000 gratuity to compensate for loss of overtime and to help workers pay off their debts; • Packages for most of the artisans that will lose their jobs; and • 500 semi-skilled and general workers will be employed as part of implementing the four-shift system. |
|
Goodyear – five-week strike |
Workers wanted the return of a relief allowance equalto 25% of a worker’s wage |
Workers won their demand. |
|
Toyota Boshoku –three-week strike |
Workers demanded that a R1 500 retention allowance paid to skilled workers should be paid to everyone |
Workers won their demand. |
|
Xstrata |
Workers demanded the harmonisation of conditions of employment between Xstrata Rustenburg and the companies in Mpumalanga |
Workers won an in-principle agreement last year after a strike. It was agreed that wage harmonisation would be completed in June 2013. However 2012 negotiations achieved this. Workers are still on strike demanding that the transport allowance that Mpumalanga workers receive should also apply in Rustenburg. |