The National Union of Metalworker of South Africa (NUMSA) is calling on all militant workers in Gauteng to join us on Wednesday Human Rights Day, 21 March as we march to #ScrapTheNewLabourLaws
The ANC government wants to change the labour law to make it impossible for workers to go on strike. We call on all workers to defend this constitutional right to strike and join us as we march on the 21 March to remind the state that workers’ rights are human rights!
On the 1st May the ANC government wants to implement changes to the labour law. These new laws will have the following impact:

• Workers will have to hold secret ballots and vote before they can go on strike. This will make it impossible for us to go on strike
• The minister of Labour can go to court to get an interdict to end a strike without consulting unions
• They want to legalize slave wages with the National Minimum Wage (NMW) of R20 per hour. We want a living wage! Why pay workers R20 per hour, when CEO’s earn R8625 per hour! We reject the NMW!
• Expanded Public Works workers (EPWP) will earn R11 per hour; Domestic workers will get R15 per hour and then farm workers will get R18 per hour.
• The NMW will cause mass retrenchments. NUMSA has managed to negotiate higher wages in many sectors it organizes in. Those who earn more will lose their jobs.
• The salary gap between CEO’s and ordinary workers was 1728 times in 2010 and it has widened ever since! The NMW is legalizing slave wages. We recognize that the majority of workers do not earn R20 per hour. But if the state is serious about tackling inequality, it will aim for a living wage. The state should research the profits and turn overs of companies in various sectors in order to establish a fair wage. We must bridge the gap between CEO’s and workers.

These changes will affect every worker and their families. But we were not consulted on these decisions. These proposals were agreed to at NEDLAC with the help of sell out trade unions COSATU, FEDUSA and NACTU. This will have a major impact on our families. First they attacked us by increasing VAT, and now they want to make it impossible for us to strike to negotiate higher wages and better working conditions. They want to take away the only weapon we have to make our lives better. NUMSA has resolved to fight them. We will fight in the courts and in the streets to defend our rights. We have joined up with 20 other progressive pro-working class movements to defend the rights of all workers, as part of the #ScrapNewLabourLaws Campaign. NUMSA is calling on all workers to unite and fight these proposals.
 
Details of the march are as follows:
Date : Wednesday 21 March, Human Rights Day
Assembly point : Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown Johannesburg
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!
Issued by:
Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
NUMSA National Spokesperson
0833767725