NUM members down tools at PPC Cement over wages

17th October 2017 By: African News Agency

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said that its members at South Africa’s leading supplier of cement and related products, PPC Cement Slurry in Mafikeng, North West, have embarked on a strike over wages.

This comes after the NUM gave PPC Cement a notice to strike on Sunday last week and workers commenced with the industrial action on Monday.

The NUM demands a 12% wage increase across the board, but the company is offering workers an offer of 6% across the board.

The union also demands a R1 000 a month housing allowance, a pool car so that the union leadership can attend union activities and meetings to service members, time off to visit union members when they are hospitalised, and that the position of a health and safety officer should be full-time.

The NUM said that the company must close the wage gaps that exist within the company as it feels that the management is creating the wage gaps instead of closing them.

PPC was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.