A strike at one of Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s (MBSA) major parts suppliers threatens to halt production at its East London plant.
Yesterday workers at Lear Corporation, which produces seats for MBSA, downed tools demanding the company pay them salaries on a par with those of 2013, after the company slashed pay rates by half last year.
The workers, who downed tools yesterday, said they also wanted labour brokers banned and medical aid deductions stopped.
When the Dispatch visited the firm’s West Bank offices, workers were locked inside the company premises chanting struggle songs, with security tight at the main entrance.
Workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they would continue demanding what they considered to be rightfully theirs. “We’ve worked here for years only to have our hourly rates dropped from R46 to R22. When we ask about that no one is willing to tell us the truth. We need the money back to its normal rate,” said one employee.
Another employee said yesterday’s protest was their last resort.
“We’ve given the company enough time to think about this but they’ve failed to respond. We are fresh from a six-month lay-off and then this. Why are they doing this?” said another.
Numsa withdrew from a strike in August after Lear threatened to file an interdict to avert the strike.
MBSA chief executive and vice president for manufacturing Arno van der Merwe said notification of the strike was made yesterday.
“We do not know how long the industrial action will last, but production is continuing. If the strike continues ... production at our C-Class facility will be affected.”
If production is stopped at MBSA, it could mean 2000 factory floor workers finding themselves without pay as long as the strike continues, Numsa car sector representative Vuyisile Makupula said.
A Lear Corporation manager, who only identified himself as Andile, said the company had no comment.
No response to questions e-mailed to plant manager Kevin Scott was received at the time of writing yesterday. — siyam@dispatch.co.za / bonganif@dispatch.co.za
MBSA supplier strike threat to production
Yesterday workers at Lear Corporation, which produces seats for MBSA, downed tools demanding the company pay them salaries on a par with those of 2013, after the company slashed pay rates by half last year.
The workers, who downed tools yesterday, said they also wanted labour brokers banned and medical aid deductions stopped.
When the Dispatch visited the firm’s West Bank offices, workers were locked inside the company premises chanting struggle songs, with security tight at the main entrance.
Workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they would continue demanding what they considered to be rightfully theirs. “We’ve worked here for years only to have our hourly rates dropped from R46 to R22. When we ask about that no one is willing to tell us the truth. We need the money back to its normal rate,” said one employee.
Another employee said yesterday’s protest was their last resort.
“We’ve given the company enough time to think about this but they’ve failed to respond. We are fresh from a six-month lay-off and then this. Why are they doing this?” said another.
Numsa withdrew from a strike in August after Lear threatened to file an interdict to avert the strike.
MBSA chief executive and vice president for manufacturing Arno van der Merwe said notification of the strike was made yesterday.
“We do not know how long the industrial action will last, but production is continuing. If the strike continues ... production at our C-Class facility will be affected.”
If production is stopped at MBSA, it could mean 2000 factory floor workers finding themselves without pay as long as the strike continues, Numsa car sector representative Vuyisile Makupula said.
A Lear Corporation manager, who only identified himself as Andile, said the company had no comment.
No response to questions e-mailed to plant manager Kevin Scott was received at the time of writing yesterday. — siyam@dispatch.co.za / bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos