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The recession, rising unemployment and lack of business confidence have all been hallmarks of 2018, leaving some employees seeing out the year with a damper on festive cheer.
Several unions have been on protracted strikes towards the end of the year, and the no-work, pay principle will see members having to tighten their belts even further in the holidays.
AMCU at Sibanye-Stillwater
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union downed tools on November 21 for an improved wage deal. The company had hoped to extend the settlement to AMCU as three other unions agreed to it, and this would make the strike unlawful.
The Labour Court ruled that Sibanye Stillwater’s figures could not be relied upon and would require verification by early January. So far, 6 500 workers have reported for duty, while AMCU’s membership stands at 15 000 and operations have been hampered by violence, including three people killed and several injured.
AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa insists workers have never experienced a real Christmas and so the union is making a sacrifice for one festive season to improve wages. He’s also promised to embark on a strike in the platinum sector in 2019, over the Lonmin/Sibanye-Stillwater merger.
NUM at Gold Fields
The nearly six-week strike by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) over retrenchments at Gold Fields' South Deep operation ended officially on December 13. The union’s national and regional offices were at loggerheads, with the branch determined to continue the industrial action indefinitely, despite claims by the higher structures that members wanted to return to work.
According to a deal signed just over a week later, the 1 082 job cuts will still go ahead and most of the retrenchment packages have been agreed to. The mineworkers who embarked on the strike without pay will have their lost earnings deducted over four months and non-management employees will receive a payment of 20% of their basic pay, if they returned to work by December 15.
Numsa in the plastics sector
The National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) and the Metal and Electrical Union of SA downed tools at manufacturing and packaging companies on October 15, over wages. The strike has been marred by violence, and a security guard at a firm in Ekurhuleni was killed.
Numsa has blamed the plastics industry for prolonging the strike and has denied allegations of violence.
Nupsaw at Dis-Chem
The National Union of Public Service & Allied Workers (Nupsaw) embarked on industrial action at Dis-Chem on November 16 over wages and a recognition agreement. The union is not the majority organisation at the pharmaceutical chain and but succeeded in disrupting operations in several malls, briefly during the industrial action.
The labour court delivered an unprecedented order barring workers affiliated to Nupsaw from picketing outside Dis-Chem stores until the end of February, following violent scuffles.
This will see Dis-Chem being able to fully trade over the busy festive season, however workers who have been on strike for over a month will not be paid under the ‘no-work, no-pay’ principle.
