[miningmx.com] — THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) announced on Sunday a country-wide strike that could see more than 300,000 workers down tools.
Unions and employers in Africa’s biggest economy are in their mid-year bargaining session known locally as “strike season”, with many labour groups seeking a wage increase more than double the country’s 4.6% inflation rate.
With more than 263,000 members, NUMSA is demanding wage increases of 13% from the metal and engineering industries, down from an initial demand of 20%.
The mass action is scheduled to start on Monday after wage negotiations broke down and the Plastics Converters Association failed to convince a labour court to block the strike.
“The effect of the Labour Court ruling is to the effect that all workers in the engineering and metal workers, whether union members or not, can partake in strike action,” Numsa said in a statement.
“This shall have the effect that 320,000 can take part in strike action.”
