The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa KwaZulu-Natal has urged chemical manufacturer Foskor to meet the demands of workers who have been on strike for more than a week.
"The management is refusing to engage workers, instead, they keep rushing to court in an attempt to block the strike," Numsa regional secretary Mbuso Ngubane said. "On Tuesday the Labour Court finally ruled in our favour by rejecting an application to interdict the strike. This is a legally protected strike for all workers at Foskor."
Workers are demanding pay progression for every qualification obtained, and a safe and healthy working environment, after some workers fell sick. They are also angry over alleged corruption and mismanagement at the company.
"We demand an independent investigation into allegations that Foskor ‘lost’ a train. How does a company the size of Foskor lose a train? We smell a rat. There is a complete lack of accountability and a lack of consequences for wrong doing," said Ngubane.
He said workers also wanted payments due to them from the Essops Ownership Scheme.
Ngubane accused the company of trying to impose an agreement which would not benefit workers.
"We reject these attempts at intimidation and we condemn it to the extreme ... We will not end the strike until our demands are met," said Ngubane.