Chemical workers threaten to go on strike

264 27/07/2011 Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied workers Union (CEPPWAWU) worker protesting outside Sasol offices in Rosebank demanding a 13% wage increment, 6 months full pay for maternity leave and R6000 minimum wage across all boards . Picture: Moeletsi Mabe

264 27/07/2011 Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied workers Union (CEPPWAWU) worker protesting outside Sasol offices in Rosebank demanding a 13% wage increment, 6 months full pay for maternity leave and R6000 minimum wage across all boards . Picture: Moeletsi Mabe

Published Jul 6, 2015

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Dineo Faku

CHEMICAL industry unions have appealed for public sympathy amid plans for a wage strike.

The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu), General Industrial Workers’ Union (Giwusa) and South African Chemical Workers’ Union (Sacwu), said last week that members had taken exception to the single digit offer tabled by the employers.

Wage talks between the unions and the National Bargaining Council for the Chemical Industries (NBCCI) have begun in May.

The unions have described the NBCCI’s tabling of a 4 percent offer and later revised the offer to 6 percent with no offer to improve other employment conditions as absurd.

“We appeal for public sympathy and for other organised worker formations to pledge their solidarity with us.”

Don’t blame us

“We must not bear the blame when the pharmaceutical sector fails to deliver the much needed medication to clinics and hospitals; when the people’s favourite cosmetics do not make it to the shelves of the stores and farmers do not get their stock of fertilisers in time for the ploughing season”.

The four chambers of the NBCCI with whom the unions are negotiating comprise the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Sector Chamber, Glass Sector Chamber, Industrial Chemical Sector Chamber and the Pharmaceutical Sector Chamber.

The unions’ mandate is to negotiate for a wage hike that will ensure that the lowest paid worker earns no less than R6 000 a month as a minimum salary.

The unions said their focus was on attaining a living wage and address high levels of poverty and inequality.

“The priority of these unions was to improve the social demands of their members which, for the past five years or so, had not improved an inch. Employers would not have any of that”.

The unions blamed employers for a low wage offer.

“They all tabled 4 percent, which was communicated to organised labour in letters that were signed by one person, however on behalf of each association.”

The unions said they had changed their approach to wage talks forming an organised labour caucus, to boost their negotiating muscle.

“Organised labour wants to win the right to bargain collectively for its members.

“Currently employers are limiting this right to only a few workers who are grouped into what is termed the bargaining unit.”

The unions noted that the chemical industry was strategic and was also resilient to many economic pressures.

“Evidence of this is borne in the huge payments that are made to the executives of those listed in the JSE. Those employers whose companies are not listed at the JSE fake poverty and refuse to offer a paltry 8 percent increase.

“This is an insult to workers, hence the commitment to fight against their monopoly.”

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