Johannesburg - The Retail Motor Industry (RMI) has been granted an urgent interdict by the Johannesburg Labour Court to prevent violence by striking petrol attendants and car repair workers.
The interdict was obtained on Tuesday, said RMI CEO Jakkie Olivier in a statement.
“The RMI has expressed grave concern over the manner in which striking members of Numsa (National Union of Metalworkers of SA) have ignored the picketing rules.
“Due to the vigilance of our members, we have been receiving daily updates about the violence... which we reported to Numsa with a request that the union intervenes.”
Olivier said this was ignored and RMI “felt obligated” to seek legal action.
“We are very pleased about the interdict because it offers a measure of control over the violence and intimidation.”
The court order states that Numsa and its members are prohibited from preventing non-striking employees from reporting for work, obstructing entrances or exits of RMI premises, assaulting or threatening to assault customers, damaging RMI property, or carrying a weapon.
In New Germany, KwaZulu-Natal, a petrol attendant was seriously injured recently in an altercation, believed to be strike-related.
This was condemned by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant.
Numsa said negotiations with employers had yielded no results, but plans to resume talks were underway.
The union has demanded a R30 an hour across the board increase by 2016 on actual rates of pay in all sectors, and divisions for workers earning above R6000 a month. It has rejected a revised wage offer of 7.5 percent, sticking with its demand of a double-digit percentage increase.
Petrol attendants and car repair workers affiliated to Numsa began the nation-wide strike 10 days ago.
Sapa