Press Statements Continental Tyre Workers Protest Over Workplace Change

 

CONTINENTAL TYRE WORKERS PROTEST OVER WORKPLACE CHANGE.

Today , 2 000 workers at Continental Tyre South Africa base in Port Elizabeth have begun their protest action over the company's unilateral strategy to restructure operations and change shift patterns without consulting with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). The company want to retrench workers and introduce short time. The retrenchment exercise is exclusively targeting 200 members of the union. Last week alone 300 workers were locked-out of the company gates without any prior notice or reasons. The company has unilaterally ended Saturday and Sunday shift operations. In all the issues , the company has failed to disclose relevant information on workplace changes.

NUMSA was mystified by an egregious blunder to restructure the company without the union views. The company should know by now what it means to restructure and impose workplace strategies on workers without the union's input. The protest action is part of making sure that the company test its own medicine. It has been very difficult for workers to swallow the medicine. The company has ignored the law and undermined the collective agreement. All issues of mutual interest and those relate to worker rights must be discussed with the union. It cannot be a unilateral decision to exclude the union on issues such as change in shift patterns, short time and retrenchments. It is not within the company purview to make decisions of this nature. Workers cannot sleep easily knowing that workplace changes might affect jobs and pay. Any workplace change has a deleterious effect on working conditions and jobs. Workers are conscious of the fact that retrenchments is a death penalty.

The situation is very horrendous and workers must act to stop it from escalating. Workers are angry and feel marginilised by the actions of the company. What is of great concern is how the decisions of the company to restructure affected salaries and employment. The restructuring process has led to a litany of consequences to conditions of employment. There is no end to operational restructuring and workers feel that there cannot be a single conclusions to the problems of the company.

NUMSA is opposed to any new shift pattern because it transgresses on the current industry agreement. One wonders if there is any remorse in the minds of those who want to transgress signed agreement. The sudden change of shift pattern must be dependent upon and modified by the actions of all parties. This can improve the situation and determine the distribution of the value workers create in the company. If this is not the case managers will abuse the company policies under the disguises of increasing the competitive edge. It is our view that the company has provided shortsighted and flawed policy decisions.

The fundamental error of the company is to ignore and down play all the union efforts to improve the circumstances of workers. It is irrational for the company to act in the manner that undermines collective rights of workers. What seems to be absent is that companies in crucial and strategic economic sectors must be seen to be leading to provide the required confidence for the South African economy. The company is losing sight of the national purpose to create wealth and increase employment. South Africa Tyre manufacturing companies are able to compete with many European and other developing nations without reducing labour costs. It has been determined that most of the costs are in distribution and other logistics. There is no issue on labour costs.

(For further information please contact Dumisa Ntuli -@ (011) 689 1700 or 0829737282)