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Cape Town – “We want to tell them [those affected by the strike] that they must go to hell,” said Mphumzi Maqungo, the national treasurer of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) during the union’s march in the Port Elizabeth city centre on Wednesday, according to a story on the HeraldLive website.
He reportedly told this to about 2 500 Numsa members in front of the City Hall after explaining there had been “gurus and economic analysts arguing that this strike is politically motivated and will hit the economy hardest”.
The motoring industry in Port Elizabeth could be hit the hardest.
Living wage
There were reports of vandalism during Numsa's march in Johannesburg.
A claim of vandalism was made on Twitter, with general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi condemning any action that may have taken place.
Vavi (@Zwelinzima1) tweeted on Tuesday that he was fully in support of the Numsa strike and would be marching with them on Wednesday in Johannesburg “in support of a living wage and against labour brokers”.
Basic demands
Dewald Bodenstein (@Ibdbeast) replied to the tweet on Wednesday at noon: “members just trashed our offices in Isando [which is near OR Tambo International Airport], we are a plastic manufacturer. Pathetic, stupid and useless actions.”
Vavi replied that violence and intimidation would not help the cause of the workers.
“We condemn that,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Cosatu’s Gauteng branch called on employers in the manufacturing sector to meet the basic demands of the workers.
It said in a statement on its website that the demands by Numsa are reasonable, fair, just and employers could be able to meet them.
“It is however regrettable that the employers are refusing to share the super profits which are generated through the blood and sweats of these metal workers in our country,” it said.
Working class
“We would always struggle to transform the industry as long as employers are allowed to run away with murder. We would never be able to meet the targets of the millennium developmental goals as long as employers are refusing to share in the wealth of the country.”
“The first and second decades of freedom in economic terms has benefited the employers more than workers and the working in general and the poor in particular. We would need to strengthen our resolve to ensure that the third decade of our freedom ensures that there is re-distribution of growth to the workers and the working class.”
It called on the employers to return to the negotiating table and meet the demands placed by workers.
“Cosatu in Gauteng would explore all possible avenues … to support the strike and we call upon all our members across the province to provide all possible means of support to the workers who are currently on strike.”
He reportedly told this to about 2 500 Numsa members in front of the City Hall after explaining there had been “gurus and economic analysts arguing that this strike is politically motivated and will hit the economy hardest”.
The motoring industry in Port Elizabeth could be hit the hardest.
Living wage
There were reports of vandalism during Numsa's march in Johannesburg.
A claim of vandalism was made on Twitter, with general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi condemning any action that may have taken place.
Vavi (@Zwelinzima1) tweeted on Tuesday that he was fully in support of the Numsa strike and would be marching with them on Wednesday in Johannesburg “in support of a living wage and against labour brokers”.
Basic demands
Dewald Bodenstein (@Ibdbeast) replied to the tweet on Wednesday at noon: “members just trashed our offices in Isando [which is near OR Tambo International Airport], we are a plastic manufacturer. Pathetic, stupid and useless actions.”
Vavi replied that violence and intimidation would not help the cause of the workers.
“We condemn that,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Cosatu’s Gauteng branch called on employers in the manufacturing sector to meet the basic demands of the workers.
It said in a statement on its website that the demands by Numsa are reasonable, fair, just and employers could be able to meet them.
“It is however regrettable that the employers are refusing to share the super profits which are generated through the blood and sweats of these metal workers in our country,” it said.
Working class
“We would always struggle to transform the industry as long as employers are allowed to run away with murder. We would never be able to meet the targets of the millennium developmental goals as long as employers are refusing to share in the wealth of the country.”
“The first and second decades of freedom in economic terms has benefited the employers more than workers and the working in general and the poor in particular. We would need to strengthen our resolve to ensure that the third decade of our freedom ensures that there is re-distribution of growth to the workers and the working class.”
It called on the employers to return to the negotiating table and meet the demands placed by workers.
“Cosatu in Gauteng would explore all possible avenues … to support the strike and we call upon all our members across the province to provide all possible means of support to the workers who are currently on strike.”
