NUMSA ENDS TOYOTA STRIKE

Thursday 4 October 2012

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) leadership led by General Secretary Irvin Jim and KwaZulu-Natal Regional Secretary Mbuso Ngubane respectively held an urgent meeting with NUMSA members employed at Toyota, Prospecton plant, outside Durban, yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

The leadership's meeting with workers was triggered by an illegal strike by workers in the plant, mainly led by NUMSA members, which necessitated the union to dispatch its most senior and trusted leadership to Toyota with an intention of soliciting a deeper understanding of the workers' demands or grievances which led to an illegal and unprotected strike in the plant.

The meeting was able to receive a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the situation and reasons which led to workers downing tools and halting production in the plant. The leadership listened attentively to workers and Shopstewards demands. The leadership was angered by the employer's behaviour of imposing an increase for a particular section of workers in the plant, outside the agreed collective bargaining agreement reached and sealed between the union and the employer in 2010.

The leadership was able to secure a meeting with Toyota bosses in order to resolve the impasse. The workers' grievances were tabled with the employer to end the industrial action. The union was able to reach a draft settlement with the employer which it then took back to workers for their approval. The draft settlement was unanimously accepted by workers. The settlement offer is consistent with our ongoing struggle for equal redistribution of wealth at the point of production.

The workers will be returning to work as from tomorrow Friday 5 October 2012.

Statement issued by Mbuso Ngubane, NUMSA KwaZulu-Natal Regional Secretary, October 4 2012

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