The scheduled picket at the IDC comes after Numsa and SASM reached an impasse in what has grown into a battle of wills after the Labour Court ruling exonerated Numsa’s demands to strike indefinitely. Picture: Oupa Mokoena Independent Newspapers
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has taken the fight for recognition and wage disparities at SA Steel Mills (SASM) to the company’s major funder, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), as the two parties reached a deadlock after a Labour Court order that exonerated the labour union.
Numsa said it will picket outside the IDC on Friday to demand that the entity re-evaluate the funding it has given to SASM because its management is “dishonest” and “does not respect the law”.
“SA Steel Mills has been the beneficiary of funding from the IDC. This funding is raised through tax contributions made by workers, including workers at the company,” said Numsa’s Sedibeng regional secretary, Kabelo Ramokhathali.
“It cannot be that workers, whose blood, sweat and tears contributed directly to SA Steel Mills’ existence, are now being abused by the very same company through unfair dismissals and through gross violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).”
However, the IDC yesterday said it had not been served with the notice to protest at its headquarters by Numsa.
The scheduled picket at the IDC comes after Numsa and SASM reached an impasse in what has grown into a battle of wills after the Labour Court ruling exonerated Numsa’s demands to strike indefinitely.
SASM has said it would institute contempt of court proceedings against the union’s members and its regional secretary “given their flagrant disregard for the interim court order (and now the final order)”.
The strike has gone on for a full two weeks as Labour Court Judge Maitu Phehane last Friday expunged a portion of an interim order granted on May 23, the second day of picketing, that the strike was not in compliance with the Labour Relations Act’s proclamation on picketing rules, and therefore unprotected.
Numsa said it was on an indefinite strike for the reinstatement of 165 workers dismissed in April for striking, and an upgrade of the industry entry-level rate of R59.10 an hour against SASM’s current R43.00, among other grievances.
“Numsa had to intervene when two of its members were wrongfully arrested by the SAPS yesterday because the management falsely claimed that the strike was interdicted,” Ramokhathali said.
“They also claimed that workers were violent, which was untrue. They deliberately presented an interim order from the court to the police which had been erroneously issued.”
Sources close to the matter said Numsa’s picket at the IDC could be misdirected as it had been outsmarted by the Future of South African Workers Union (Fosawu), which is said to have higher representation at the company.
In previous responses, SASM lawyers Stein Scop Attorneys said the company had regular engagement with Fosawu, hence it would not recognise Numsa, which is claimed to have higher demands.
“The IDC is just an investee in that company and does not have the power to direct issues of union representation,” said the close sources.
“Investee companies normally are represented by people at the board, and boards do not determine shop floor issues like that.”
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