NUMSA will defend the right to strike at the Labour Court

17 April 2019

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) will be going to the Labour court on Thursday to defend the right to strike at Comair. The management of Comair is attempting to interdict the strike because they claim it is illegal. We know the real reason is because they are worried that the strike will have a major impact on their operations and their profits. In spite of these attempts to intimidate our members, we will continue with the strike as planned.

Our members have accused the management of Comair for claiming that workers who participate in pickets during the strike will be arrested. The CCMA established picketing rules, together with ACSA at all airports, there are designated spaces where workers can legally picket. We reject the lie that workers will be arrested for picketing. It is obvious that Comair is desperate to undermine the strike and to strike fear into workers. We demand that they stop intimidating our members. This is a cheap tactic by a desperate employer who cares only about his profit margin.

The CCMA has requested to mediate the strike on Thursday in an attempt to resolve the impasse. We welcome the intervention and we have agreed that we will be meeting them tomorrow afternoon.

We call on our members to come out in their numbers and support the strike. We will not allow them to be bullied into silence by a brutal employer. We will do everything in our power to prevent the interdict, and we call on the management of Comair to engage meaningfully with our demands.

Aluta continua!

The struggle continues!

Issued by Phakamile Hlubi- Majola, NUMSA National spokesperson, 17 April 2019