Contrary to information received from the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) earlier this week, tyre manufacturer Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) on Friday stated that a final agreement had not yet been reached between the company and the union to end Numsa’s strike, relating to weekend payment rates, at CTSA’s manufacturing facility, in Port Elizabeth.

Numsa started its strike at the facility on April 15, demanding that weekend shift workers be paid time-and-a-half for Saturday and double time for Sunday, as opposed to straight time for working on a Saturday and time-and-a-half on a Sunday.

However, week shift employees were paid straight time during the week and, should they work over a weekend, were paid time-and-a-half for a Saturday and double time for a Sunday, which was in line with the bargaining council agreement.

Numsa Eastern Cape regional secretary Phumzile Nodongwe on Tuesday told Engineering News Online that the union had accepted an offer made by CTSA, with workers returning to work on May 1.

He said the offer accepted by Numsa comprised the “amalgamation” of the two shift systems so that “no one only works weekends”.

According to Nodongwe, a shift would run from Monday to Sunday with workers being paid time-and-a-half for work done on a Saturday and double time for work done Sundays.

However, CTSA spokesperson Nomfundo Hlela on Friday told Engineering News Online that the Numsa members had not yet returned to work as a final agreement had not yet been reached.

“Negotiations between Numsa and CTSA are still under way. We are able to continue with limited production and continue to meet the needs of original-equipment manufacturers as well as the replacement market. However, should the strike continue, it could have a further negative impact on production, including losses experienced to date,” said CTSA MD Dieter Horni.

He added that, while the company respected the rights of employees to express their grievances through industrial action, protracted action had a detrimental impact not only on production but on the morale of the business.

“We, therefore, look forward to an amicable agreement being reached between ourselves [and Numsa],” Horni said.