Nicola Mawson
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has brought production at Ford South Africa, which makes more than 700 vehicles a day, to a halt.
The trade union downed tools yesterday because Ford has refused to include workers in profit sharing. Numsas national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola told Business Report yesterday that the shop steward had confirmed that all production had been halted.
Yet, Ford SA says the Labour Court upheld an application to interdict the strike, which means any further strike action would be considered unlawful. Ford is requesting all employees based at the Silverton Assembly Plant to return to work on Monday, 08 July. Hlubi-Majola has contradicted this statement, saying that the Labour Court ruled in the unions favour and the strike would continue.
On Wednesday, Ford SAs spokesperson Minesh Bhagaloo said that consistency in production was vital when it makes investments, and the union action that affects manufacturing also adversely affects South Africas global competitiveness.
