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Durban - Several union workers at the Assmang smelter in Cato Ridge have been offered about R500 a shift to ignore the Cosatu-led national stayaway on Wednesday, The Mercury newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Assmang confirmed that managers had spoken to representatives of the National Union of Metalworkers and the National Union of Mineworkers about "incentivising" critical staff to work on Wednesday and keep some furnaces running.
"The plant will not be operating at full capacity and non-critical staff will in fact be encouraged to participate in the stay-away," a spokesperson said.
He did not disclose what incentives were offered but staffers at the plant revealed they had been offered between R500 and R700 a shift.
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business reacted with shock at Assmang's move.
"I have not heard of such a move before, but I suppose this is indicative of the slowing state of the economy that companies are now taking drastic steps and choosing this kind of incentive to stave off massive potential losses as a result of the strike," the Durban chamber's Denise Chendip told The Mercury.