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South African engineers go on strike | South African engineers go on strike |
(35 minutes later) | |
Engineers and metalworkers in South Africa have gone on strike after talks on Monday failed to reach an agreement over pay. | |
The country's largest union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), claims that more than 200,000 members are striking. | |
The union is demanding a 12% wage increase, almost double the rate of inflation. | |
So far employers have offered an 8% pay rise. | So far employers have offered an 8% pay rise. |
Marches are taking place in six major cities across the country, including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. | |
NUMSA also wants to receive a housing allowance of 1000 rand ($94;) a month. | |
The union's secretary-general Irvin Jim has said it will not settle for less than a double-digit increase. | The union's secretary-general Irvin Jim has said it will not settle for less than a double-digit increase. |
"We have a long list of demands that has been reduced because we have to be objective," he told the BBC. | |
"Originally we had a mandate for demanding 15% [pay increase]... but we have reduced that to 12%". | |
The union has about 340,000 members in total, but only around two-thirds were planning to go on strike. | |
Analysis | |
Lerato Mbele, BBC News, Johannesburg | |
As the winter morning warms up, about 5,000 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa gathered at the Mary Fitzgerald Square. | |
It's the music & theatre district of Johannesburg, appropriate because as the workers arrive in waves, they sing, chant and perform war dances. | |
The songs are about their struggle as the working class. Many are holding up placards stating their negotiating position. | |
Here at the rally point workers demand a wage increase of 15%, despite the union leaders formally demanding 12% in the wage talks. | |
It is a sea of red and gold Numsa t-shirts, and there is obviously no sign of employer representatives. Other than the singing and sloganeering the protest has begun on peaceful note and the mood is somewhat festive. | |
Essential service | Essential service |
The union is also demanding a pay increase at energy utility, Eskom, and says it will picket outside the firm's headquarters on Wednesday morning. | The union is also demanding a pay increase at energy utility, Eskom, and says it will picket outside the firm's headquarters on Wednesday morning. |
The power company supplies the vast majority of South Africa's electricity and is deemed an essential service, therefore any strike would not be legal. | The power company supplies the vast majority of South Africa's electricity and is deemed an essential service, therefore any strike would not be legal. |
There are concerns that if the picket turns into a strike, then South Africa's already fragile power sector could be vulnerable to disruption. | There are concerns that if the picket turns into a strike, then South Africa's already fragile power sector could be vulnerable to disruption. |
However, Mr Jim believes it should be allowed to strike and blamed Eskom's management for giving "bonuses to themselves" without seeing the "need to give workers a living wage". | |
"With Eskom we have said to them for years now, let's sit down and deal with the issue of demarcation, because as a union we firmly believe it is not true that the whole of Eskom is an essential service. | |
"We could have departments that will not affect electricity... and they could be able to carry the plight of other workers by embarking on a legally protected strike," he said. | |
This latest industrial action comes only a week after the end of a five-month long strike at South Africa's platinum mines, which crippled the sector. | This latest industrial action comes only a week after the end of a five-month long strike at South Africa's platinum mines, which crippled the sector. |
In the first three months of this year, South Africa's GDP shrank by 0.6%, the first contraction since 2009. | In the first three months of this year, South Africa's GDP shrank by 0.6%, the first contraction since 2009. |
Should NUMSA's strike be prolonged, there are worries it could have a damaging effect on the South African economy. | Should NUMSA's strike be prolonged, there are worries it could have a damaging effect on the South African economy. |