Metal workers union Numsa has welcomed the support of new trade union federation Saftu for its strike in the engineering sector.
Union spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi, said SAFTU had called on all 24 unions, representing seven hundred thousand workers in the country to back NUMSA in the upcoming strike in Engineering.
She said Numsa was gearing up for what she said would be the “mother of all strikes” in the engineering sector.
Hlubi also hit out at Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the
former trade unionist has now re-invented himself as a union basher.
“The deputy President who founded the once mighty National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), is responsible for driving and implementing the National Minimum Wage of R20 per hour,” said Hlubi.
“It is because of this decision that bosses in the Engineering sector are demanding that we accept a proposal that new employees in the sector should be paid half of the minimum rate. So whilst other workers are earning R40 or more, Employers want to pay new workers slave wages!
Numsa also lashed out at Cosatu, saying it had approved the poverty minimum wage, which NUMSA was vociferously opposed to.
“COSATU is truly a shell of its former self. Besides being a mere labour desk for the governing party, they only care about the ANC’s factional battles, instead of fighting this attack on the working class,” she said.
Hlubi said Numsa was still consulting its members and will announce a strike date once they’ve received a strike certificate.
