Numsa: Workers will not pay for economic crisis

ToxicBunny

ToxicBunny

Oi! Leave me out of this...
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http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Numsa-Workers-will-not-pay-for-economic-crisis-20130909

Johannesburg - Workers cannot bear the brunt of the global economic crisis, National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irwin Jim said in Randburg on Monday.

"Bosses must appreciate we know the economy is in crisis," he told striking Numsa members. "As workers, we will not pay for this crisis."

Petrol attendants and car repair workers affiliated to the union began a nation-wide strike on Monday.

Jim encouraged non-Numsa affiliates to join the strike.

"If you are in this sector, you are protected to join this strike, if you are a Numsa member or not," he said.

Striking workers chanted "voetsek 5.6%" to show their dissatisfaction with a wage offer by employers.

"If you go to work when we are not at work, it means you are undisciplined," Jim said. "Run employers, run. Run amagundane [rats], run," he said.

Are you on the scene? Send us your pics and get published.

Jim said the strike would continue indefinitely, until the union's demands, for among others, a double-digit percent increase, were met.

Earlier, Numsa spokesperson Castro Ngobese said the union was holding marches around the country to urge employers in the sector to return to the negotiating table.

Thousands of workers, including petrol attendants, workers at components retailers, panelbeaters, car and spare parts dealers, fitment workshops, and dealerships were expected to down tools on Monday.

The union has demanded, among other things, a R30 an hour across the board increase by 2016 on actual rates of pay in all sectors and divisions for workers earning above R6 000 a month.

Deputy general secretary Karl Cloete said last week that the industry had around 300 000 workers, of whom around 70 000 were Numsa members.

Negotiations with employers, which began at the end of May, deadlocked in July.

The Fuel Retailers' Association and the Retail Motor Industry were given 48-hours notice of the strike.

Ngobese said workers' demands should be understood within the context of rising living and transport costs.

The march began around 11:30. It had been scheduled to start at 10:00, but was delayed while members from other regions made their way to Randburg from areas as far afield as Rustenburg, in North West.

The strikers wore red T-shirts emblazoned with their demands, including a skills-based grading system and a 40 hour working week.

Before the march moved off, they sang and danced to music blaring from a sound system.

The crowd waved placards bearing slogans such as "R6000 minimum wages in the industry" and "Move cashiers to grade five".

Other demands included safe working environments for pregnant staff and a total ban on labour brokers.
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Union economics is just beautiful.

1+1 = fsck you I will not do your colonialist mathematics. Give me monies...
 
I know....

The article is amusing and saddening all at the same time
 
Does this mean that when the economy is doing well they will exclude themselves from the upside too?

Because that would in and of itself be detrimental to the economy as well.

I must find out where these illiterate dipschits qualified from. Perhaps JK Rowling can write a book about it...
 
Easy, offer them 1% and then let them strike forever. No work no pay and hire new staff. Not like there's a shortage of unemployed people in this country.
 
Oh, but you will actually pay....

Your actions will cause further damage to the economy weakening our currency and devaluing your current pay.
It will also push up commodity prices meaning you will have to pay more for your goods in the future.
That is not to mention the pay you will lose out on by striking so that any increase you might actually win has to be offest by your actual immediate loss.
 
friedpiggy said:
Easy, offer them 1% and then let them strike forever. No work no pay and hire new staff. Not like there's a shortage of unemployed people in this country.
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It's a protected strike. They cannot be fired. The unions didn't spend the last two decades worming themselves in to every pocket of governance for nothing...
 
Garyvdh said:
Oh, but you will actually pay....

Your actions will cause further damage to the economy weakening our currency and devaluing your current pay.
It will also push up commodity prices meaning you will have to pay more for your goods in the future.
That is not to mention the pay you will lose out on by striking so that any increase you might actually win has to be offest by your actual immediate loss.
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Gary, Gary, Gary...that's white, colonialist economics. Not union economics. Union economics works very differently...
 
Well they didn't last very long outside.
They were here for all of 2 hours before leaving to go have a nap at home.

They really seem focused.
 
DJ... said:
It's a protected strike. They cannot be fired. The unions didn't spend the last two decades worming themselves in to every pocket of governance for nothing...
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Missing the point. You don't fire them. Let them stay on the books as employees. You just don't pay them under "no work, no pay" so once the strike is over you retrench them as you now have too many employees.
 
friedpiggy said:
Missing the point. You don't fire them. Let them stay on the books as employees. You just don't pay them under "no work, no pay" so once the strike is over you retrench them as you now have too many employees.
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Unfortunately that's also not allowed. They have a right to strike. You have a right to protect your business. But you cannot hire someone to take over from them and then retrench them. Labour court will take you to task.

It also destroys the relationship with labour and unions and you open yourself up to having labour destroy your company. Labour laws and union control need to be re-evaluated in this country. Unions are only getting larger, more aggressive, and entrenching themselves in politics to the point that their actions represent their political movements more than their actual members. They've become an extension of ANC factions.

Despicable position the ANC has put this country in...
 
Rand needs to really improve before this will stop happening.....

Inflation is causing everything to go up every month -> Works go on strike because they can't afford their basics -> Strikes further devalue the rand -> Workers get increases, inflation goes up, increase means nothing and they go on strike again...... same stupid fking cycle.

They worried about a strong rand because it will mess up export revenue. Considering that a lot of those exports are using imports in the production cycle...

All this is doing is making the poor poorer and the rich don't really care.
 
Electric said:
Non-unionized companies are the way forward.
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Or just smaller unions, rather a union per company/region/industry instead of these massive unions that represent all the workers. That way companies can negotiate on a per case basis.
 
So I pulled into a garage to put in petrol. One guy with no uniform sort of crept up to my car looking at the main road continually. When he reached my door I asked why is he more interested in what's going on on the hi-way than servicing a customer. He's only words were "we are scared" then I remembered the strike. On further query when he was done I asked whether they were threatened. he said " They were here this morning and took some workers away"

Well done ANC and your stupid supporters.
 
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So let me get this straight... In this here new SA, you have rights but you are not allowed to exercise your right to work while others around you strike? Does that sound about right?
 
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