NUMSA calls for the withdrawal of SA Police Services at the ongoing Dunlop strike action!
The KwaZulu-Natal National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) calls on the South African Police Services (SAPS) members not to be bullied or coerced by Dunlop ruling oligarchy to suppress dissent or undermine genuine struggles of workers at the point of production geared towards attaining a living wage and improved conditions of employment.
We strongly believe that the high deployment of police officers at Dunlop Howick, where NUMSA members are embarking on a protected industrial action, is an exaggeration and a provocation.
We are deeply concerned that now police officers, as we recently seen in Marikana, will now be unleashed forcefully to undermine genuine struggles of workers. This newly found deployment of police officers is no different from the apartheid past experiences where police were irresponsibly used to protect the interests of the Capitalist bosses.
We call on the MEC of Community & Liaison comrade Willies Mchunu to query this massive and unnecessary deployment of police officers. Since the strike or industrial action started last Wednesday 22 August 2012, it has been characterised by high levels of discipline and maturity by workers.
We believe that these police officers should be re-deployed to assist in the fight against crime in our communities as faced by the working class on daily basis.
We further call on the Dunlop ruling oligarchy to apply soberness and cool-heads by returning to bargaining table with a view of soliciting a wage settlement. We firmly believe their ill-conceived actions of renting the SAPS members will not resolve strike action.
We further warn that should the Dunlop management continue to prolong the strike, as NUMSA will have no option but to mobilize our members from sister companies to embark on a secondary strike and also consider international solidarity.
NUMSA members will also be encouraged not to touch any product produced by this company.
Statement issued by Mbuso Ngubane, NUMSA Regional Secretary, August 29 2012
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