MORE than a thousand Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) workers downed tools in an unprotected strike action yesterday (SUBS: Friday) following a tense week with workers refusing to work overtime.
Paint shop staff have butted heads with the new paint shop di rector over “military style” rules about overalls and threats from management. This is amid tension over MBSA’s plans to outsource the logistics department.
Employees protested that this threatens about 300 of the 1600 fac tory floor jobs, as the Daily Dis patch reported this week.
The company said at the time no final decision had been made. and There was a possibility of “rede ploying” affected logistics employ ees.
Trouble started after the new di rector of the paint shop, Anhelm Mittelbach, allegedly made “unilat eral” decisions and “commanded” workers to take their overalls off when they left the paint shop to prevent picking up dirt from out side.
This week workers refused to work overtime in support of the paint shop workers, and yesterday things came to a head after work ers agreed to down tools amid threats of discipline against paint shop workers.
“MBSA holds medals in platinum, gold and silver as one of the best manufacturers in the world.Workers questioned why they should operate like this all of a sudden. Mittelbach said he was a soldier from Germany and workers must take instructions from him,” said a worker who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal. (OK with ed)
MBSA spokeswoman Lynette Skriker confirmed that there was a strike at the East London plant and said she would send a detailed written response later. However she had not done so at the time of going to print.
Mittelbach’s alleged actions an gered factory floor workers who re fused to go to back work after lunch on Wednesday until management had addressed them, sources said. After dis cussions on Wednesday the company allegedly wanted to deduct an hour’s pay from the paint shop workers and charge them for staying away from work for an hour.
“We support the paint shop workers. We do not want them to be charged because they were not on strike. Since Wednesday we have not worked overtime. The company came back to say it would charge workers and oust Numsa in favour of the As sociation of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
“There was an argument and shop stewards walked out and re ported on the threats to workers. The work force was united and de cided not to work overtime and since then no overtime has been worked,” said a worker (approved: editor).
Amcu is a miners’ and construc tion union which has threatened the position of the Cosatu-aligned National Union of Mineworkers and led the protest that led to the death of 34 miners in Lonmin’s Marikana mine last year.
There are about 150-200 MBSA paint shop workers.
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) local or ganiser for MBSA Vuyisile Makupula confirmed the strike, but said Numsa had not been made aware of it beforehand.
“We have a meeting scheduled with the company on Wednesday to discuss the issue of the logistics plan. I suspect the strike is about internal issues,” Makupula said.
Workers said the recognition agreement signed in 1989 gave MB SA workers the right to an unpro tected strike provided it did not last more than 72 hours.
“Clause 14.8.3 protects workers and we have decided to use it to put pressure on management not to discipline workers. There is still going to be a meeting on Wednes daythe 22nd over the logistics issue. The outcome of that will determine what happensand we might decide on further strike action,” said a worker. —
Mercedes-Benz workers angry
Paint shop staff have butted heads with the new paint shop di rector over “military style” rules about overalls and threats from management. This is amid tension over MBSA’s plans to outsource the logistics department.
Employees protested that this threatens about 300 of the 1600 fac tory floor jobs, as the Daily Dis patch reported this week.
The company said at the time no final decision had been made. and There was a possibility of “rede ploying” affected logistics employ ees.
Trouble started after the new di rector of the paint shop, Anhelm Mittelbach, allegedly made “unilat eral” decisions and “commanded” workers to take their overalls off when they left the paint shop to prevent picking up dirt from out side.
This week workers refused to work overtime in support of the paint shop workers, and yesterday things came to a head after work ers agreed to down tools amid threats of discipline against paint shop workers.
“MBSA holds medals in platinum, gold and silver as one of the best manufacturers in the world.Workers questioned why they should operate like this all of a sudden. Mittelbach said he was a soldier from Germany and workers must take instructions from him,” said a worker who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal. (OK with ed)
MBSA spokeswoman Lynette Skriker confirmed that there was a strike at the East London plant and said she would send a detailed written response later. However she had not done so at the time of going to print.
Mittelbach’s alleged actions an gered factory floor workers who re fused to go to back work after lunch on Wednesday until management had addressed them, sources said. After dis cussions on Wednesday the company allegedly wanted to deduct an hour’s pay from the paint shop workers and charge them for staying away from work for an hour.
“We support the paint shop workers. We do not want them to be charged because they were not on strike. Since Wednesday we have not worked overtime. The company came back to say it would charge workers and oust Numsa in favour of the As sociation of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
“There was an argument and shop stewards walked out and re ported on the threats to workers. The work force was united and de cided not to work overtime and since then no overtime has been worked,” said a worker (approved: editor).
Amcu is a miners’ and construc tion union which has threatened the position of the Cosatu-aligned National Union of Mineworkers and led the protest that led to the death of 34 miners in Lonmin’s Marikana mine last year.
There are about 150-200 MBSA paint shop workers.
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) local or ganiser for MBSA Vuyisile Makupula confirmed the strike, but said Numsa had not been made aware of it beforehand.
“We have a meeting scheduled with the company on Wednesday to discuss the issue of the logistics plan. I suspect the strike is about internal issues,” Makupula said.
Workers said the recognition agreement signed in 1989 gave MB SA workers the right to an unpro tected strike provided it did not last more than 72 hours.
“Clause 14.8.3 protects workers and we have decided to use it to put pressure on management not to discipline workers. There is still going to be a meeting on Wednes daythe 22nd over the logistics issue. The outcome of that will determine what happensand we might decide on further strike action,” said a worker. —
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