The labour dispute between the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and South African Steel Mills (SASM) escalated to violence yesterday as four workers were allegedly shot at with rubber bullets at close range by security personnel.
This comes as workers embarked on an indefinite strike at SASM, south of Johannesburg, yesterday as they pressed for the reinstatement of at least 124 fired colleagues and closing of the industry wage gap.
Numsa and SASM have both vowed to fight it out in court as the company intends to appeal a judgment handed down by the Labour Court, which gave the union carte blanche to organise workers.
Numsa regional secretary Kabelo Ramokhathali yesterday claimed the workers were shot at by private security company personnel as they engaged in the picket line in the morning.
“Four of our members were shot at with rubber bullets in close range, two sustained very serious injuries because one was shot in the head and another in the chest. The employer is adamant that it will not engage with Numsa. This is more about union bashing than anything else,” he said.
Part of the grievances is the disparity of R42 per hour for entry-level workers against the current industry benchmark of R59.10 per hour.
The workers are also pressing for the reinstatement of colleagues fired in the aftermath of a Labour Court judgment last week that the strike mobilised by Numsa was protected and workers could not be disciplined for engaging in it.
“The strike is indefinite. We will not stop it until our demands are met. It is curious that the company funded by our own Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is now turning violent on the workers and defying court orders,” Ramokhathali said.
In a response from Amelia Berman of Stein Scop Attorneys, SASM, which has recently been acquired by Alfeco Holdings as part of a restructuring and rescue of the business, said it had ongoing engagements with Future of South African Workers Union (Fosawu), who represent the vast majority of employees at SASM.
SASM said Numsa was a minority fringe union and had elected to embark on an unprotected and violent strike which had resulted in the dismissal of 124 workers found guilty of misconduct in a disciplinary process.
“Today’s strike is a product of such dismissals and has unfortunately resulted in ongoing and perpetual violence, intimidation and acts of damage to property committed by Numsa’s members,“ Berman said.
“SASM has instructed its legal team to pursue an application for an urgent interdict to curtail the ongoing damage and violence perpetrated by Numsa’s members.
“SASM, as well as its new owners, remain open to consulting with all stakeholders, but in the interests of continuity of production and the protection of its employees, SASM cannot abide the nature of the actions taken by Numsa and its members in the name of the strike. In relation to the judgment, SASM intends to apply for leave to appeal.”
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