ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Wednesday that it was forging ahead with a month-long strike at the local subsidiary of multinational steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal.  

This was indicated after union members on Tuesday handed over a memorandum of demands to the UK Embassy, in Pretoria, to highlight the alleged abuse and exploitation of workers at ArcelorMittal SA (AMSA).  At least 2,000 permanent employees and contract workers have been on strike since 12 March.  In Numsa’s view, a large number of its members were at a disadvantage because they were employed through contractors Real Tree Trading and Monyetla Services even though they actually worked for AMSA.  It wants all contract workers to become fully in-sourced by AMSA and to receive the same salaries and benefits as other permanent workers.  "We are told that the contractors are service providers and not labour brokers," Numsa's Hlanganani regional secretary Jerry Morulane remarked.  Numsa also said AMSA should immediately reinstate the union's shop steward whom it said was dismissed in 2016 for objecting when management failed to adhere to health and safety rules.  "We are demanding that the UK ambassador engage with the management of AMSA on these demands over the next seven days," Morulane indicated.

• Read the full original of the report on this story at Engineering News

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page