Trade union Solidarity on Tuesday said it would apply for an urgent interdict against tyre manufacturer Continental Tyres to halt planned retrenchments after a “questionable agreement” with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) extended to Solidarity members without the union’s knowledge or consent.
Solidarity deputy general secretary Johan Kruger said the union would head to the Labour Court, in Port Elizabeth, on Wednesday, to try to stop the Section 189 retrenchment process after a month-long Numsa-led strike resulted in the tyre manufacturer amalgamating its shift system, resulting in layoffs that would impact both Numsa and Solidarity members.
“In terms of the agreement, shift workers who worked only on Saturdays and Sundays in a pattern of five shifts will, from now on, be paid one-and-a-half times the normal wage on a Saturday and double the normal wage on a Sunday.
“These changes have resulted in shift workers having to work two out of every four weekends from now on and the company having to lay off approximately 125 employees,” Kruger explained.
Solidarity requested in several letters sent to Continental to defer the retrenchment process that was ratified by the agreement until the company “followed the correct, legal procedures”. The request remained unheeded, it stated.
“Solidarity is, therefore, resorting to legal remedies in order to protect its members against the unfair and dubious retrenchment process,” Kruger concluded.
Continental said it would look into the allegations and respond soonest.