ABOUT 600 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa yesterday downed tools at BHP Billiton in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, demanding wage increase and better working conditions.
The parties have been engaged in protracted negotiations since April.
Numsa is demanding the following:
- A 12percent salary hike;
- 50percent employer contribution to the medical aid scheme;
- Night shift allowance of 12percent;
- Study assistance of R50000 in the event of retrenchments;
- Banning of labour brokers;
- Six months fully paid maternity leave; and
- Full-time health and safety shop stewards.
Numsa regional secretary, Mbuso Ngubane, said they were expecting more workers to join the strike today.
"Some workers were on a night shift when the strike started this morning (yesterday). We are expecting 700 of all our members to be on strike tomorrow (today)."
Ngubane said the union was enraged by employer's conduct in which they called employees individually to persuade them to accept a 7,5percent salary hike.
"That was undermining the spirit of negotiations. You cannot be negotiating in good faith if you call workers on the side coercing them to sign for an increase that was not agreed upon by a union," Ngubane said.
BHP Billiton is a mineral resource company specialising in smelting of copper.
Numsa members down tools
ABOUT 600 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa yesterday downed tools at BHP Billiton in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, demanding wage increase and better working conditions.
The parties have been engaged in protracted negotiations since April.
Numsa is demanding the following:
Numsa regional secretary, Mbuso Ngubane, said they were expecting more workers to join the strike today.
"Some workers were on a night shift when the strike started this morning (yesterday). We are expecting 700 of all our members to be on strike tomorrow (today)."
Ngubane said the union was enraged by employer's conduct in which they called employees individually to persuade them to accept a 7,5percent salary hike.
"That was undermining the spirit of negotiations. You cannot be negotiating in good faith if you call workers on the side coercing them to sign for an increase that was not agreed upon by a union," Ngubane said.
BHP Billiton is a mineral resource company specialising in smelting of copper.
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