The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) held yet another “unlawful” picket outside the offices of Alfeco Holdings, a new steel company that has replaced SA Steel Mills, the previous company accused of firing more than 160 workers illegally.
Last week, union members were accused of beating up a woman by the name of Lindiwe Nsibande.
On Tuesday, in defiance of Thursday’s court order, they held yet another strike against South African Steel Mills (SASM) in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg.
Tuesday’s protest took place on the back of a series of events that resulted in industrial action in April after the new management of SASM (now Alfeco Holdings) refused to implement the personal demands of several Numsa shop stewards.
Also, last week, Acting Judge Ntsoane declared that the strike in which Numsa’s members are participating was not in compliance with Chapter IV of the Labour Relations Act.
The court also ruled that gathering at any of SASM’s entrances or blocking any entrances was illegal.
Numsa regional secretary-general in the region, Kabelo Ramokhathali said in a statement that said the reason its members were embarking on protests was to ensure that the company was prevented from firing its 165 employees for exercising their democratic right to protest for better working conditions.
“It was only under apartheid where workers were fired for embarking on a strike and yet, at SA Steel mills, 165 workers have been unfairly fired for participating in a lawfully protected strike.
“We condemn the brutal management of SA Steel Mills which has shamelessly benefited from the sacrifices made by the working class to free this country when it fought against apartheid, only for them to adopt the same racist, inhumane attitude as Hendrik Verwoerd or PW Botha,” Ramokhathali said.
Numsa said some of its workers were assault and brutally beaten by the private security employed by the steel company.
“Just last week, four workers were hospitalised after being shot, unprovoked, by rubber bullets by private security. The private security officers implicated in this have been arrested and they appeared in court on charges of attempted murder on Friday, the 24th of May.
“We have heard unconfirmed reports that the weapons they used were unlicensed firearms and we demand that the police investigate this matter further. Numsa wants to know if the weapons used by private security are licensed or not. If not, then they must be jailed and the private security bosses must be imprisoned for issuing unlicensed firearms,” he said.
This week, “The Star” reported that the court also declare that Numsa should neither encourage nor incite any of SASM’s employees to participate in the strike. The court cautioned against any form of intimidation.
“The Star” labour specialist Dr Barney Shabangu said Numsa was contributing a threat to human life.
“The information that this is an illegal strike is in the public domain. There is a court against the strike. This is one of the points in history where unions sacrifice African workers. Being it an illegal and possibly violent strike, police will be forced to respond and people will be injured. Irvin Jim (Numsa general secretary) is aware of this fact. Only he knows why he is condoning this kind of behaviour.”
The Star