Penwell Dlamini

Penwell Dlamini

The strike at a paint manufacturing company in Alberton has entered its second week after employers and the union failed to reach an agreement.

About 117 members of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) downed tools on Monday last week after employers failed to meet their demands.

Yesterday, the workers sang struggle songs outside the Prominent Paints building.

Giwusa's organiser Sipho Maseko said: "The strike will not end until the company addresses our demands. We are supposed to meet tomorrow [today] to see if we can't find some common ground."

The workers demand:

lThe removal of the human resources manager who they accuse of "unfair practices" in implementing disciplinary measures;

lThe reinstatement of the "Rainbow policy", an incentive system which gave employees R3000 quarterly from profits made by the firm. Employers reduced the incentive to R700 mid last year;

lFor the 21 contract workers to be permanently employed;

lThat the permanent total disability be increased from one times the annual salary to three times the annual salary; and

lThe funeral cover to be increased from R4000 to R10000.