Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) employees in West Bank have threatened a total production shutdown if their wage and allowance demands continue to fall on deaf ears.
On Monday employees on the 2pm-10pm shift picketed outside the premises.
WWL employs drivers for Mercedes-Benz South Africa to test-drive cars and park them at Transnet before they are shipped to their destinations.
Numsa shop steward Timothy Lubisi said workers opposed payment of R29.93 an hour, which is the minimum standard set by the bargaining council.
“We want to be paid an increased hourly rate of R70 and we want a change from the R20-a-day night shift allowance.
“They must instead pay us that R20 an hour for the night shift allowance [in addition to the normal rate]. They must also do away with labour brokers,” Lubisi said.
Lubisi said workers did not agree with being paid R2,000 – an equivalent of two weeks’ pay – as a bonus and, instead, demanded an amount equivalent to a month’s salary.
“The service pay is only given to employees with five years’ experience.
“But the employees who have less than that are given nothing. However, we would like the company to consider them,” Lubisi said.
He said employees at WWL were in limbo as they were not sure about their employment status because they had not signed contracts of employment with the employer since 2013.
Lubisi said WWL management had promised to address the matter with the employees, but these were all in vain.
He complained that workers were forced to take days from their annual leave during the firm’s shutdown period.
“If they continue to ignore us then there will come a time when there will be a total shutdown of production,” he said.
He said the employees had written to management two weeks ago about their grievances, but had instead threatened them with disciplinary hearings and dismissals. The Daily Dispatch has seen a copy of a letter signed by WWL managing director, Faheem Hoosen, in which he acknowledged having received an anonymous letter from East London employees.
“To this fact. We wish to advise all employees that we will not tolerate any anarchy or disrespect of the communication structures in place.
Employees who embark on an illegal strike or any work stoppage, will be removed from site immediately and be subjected to a disciplinary process that may lead to dismissal,” Hoosen wrote.
The Dispatch had received no response to e-mails sent to Hoosen on the matter, at the time of writing on Monday...