The Star reports that on Tuesday, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) held yet another “unlawful” picket outside the offices of SA Steel Mills (SASM) in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg.
The action was in defiance of last Thursday’s court order. 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 demands of several Numsa shop stewards. Also last week, Acting Judge Ntsoane declared that the strike in which Numsa’s members were participating was not in compliance with the Labour Relations Act. The court ruled that gathering at any of SASM’s entrances or blocking any entrances was illegal. The court also reportedly declared 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. 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. Numsa claimed that some of its workers were assaulted and brutally beaten by the private security employed by the steel company. Last week, union members were accused of beating up a woman by the name of Lindiwe Nsibande.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at The Star
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