Shop floors at steel factories across SA were abandoned on Tuesday after workers downed tools and embarked on an indefinite strike across the country that is set to bring an important component of the economy to its knees.
News of the strike sent the share price of ArcelorMittal SA, one of the country’s big steelmakers, nearly 1% lower on Tuesday, wiping off R68-million from its value on the JSE. On the first day of their strike on Tuesday, workers affiliated with Numsa marched to the Metal and Engineering Industry Bargaining Council in Johannesburg and handed over a memorandum reiterating their demand for inflation-beating salary increases. The council is where workers and employers in the steel and engineering industry negotiate the terms of employment.
Numsa and employers in the steel industry, represented by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of SA , have failed to find each other and Numsa has declared a salary dispute.
JvanLogg Oh well, more companies will close, more jobs will be lost. That's the norm for South Africa! 🙄🤦♀️