The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has served Ford South Africa with a 48-hour notice to strike, starting on Thursday, 4 July 2024 at 06:00.
NUMSA to halt operations at Ford SA plant
The announcement was made by NUMSA President Andrew Chirwa during a Quarterly General Meeting attended by over 3,000 workers.
The strike is a response to Ford’s refusal to pay bonuses to its workers, which has caused significant anger and frustration among the employees.
NUMSA stated that Ford failed to reach an agreement at a conciliation meeting held on 11 June 2024, at the CCMA offices in Pretoria.
The Commissioner issued a certificate to strike after the conclusion of the picketing rules. NUMSA has accused Ford of refusing to share its profits with the workers who are integral to the company’s success.
According to NUMSA, Ford has consistently made substantial profits over the past four years, with their gross profit for the 12 months ending 31 March 2024, reaching $25.137 billion.
Despite these profits, Ford management has allegedly claimed that the workers have no right to demand bonuses, a stance that NUMSA rejects.
“Ford management pretends not to understand the demand and they keep claiming it is ‘impermissible’ and they claim that workers have no right to demand bonuses. We reject this with the contempt it deserves,” the trade union wrote in a statement.
NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim emphasized the importance of unity among Ford workers and called on them to support the strike to ensure their demands are met.
The union, which represents over 450,000 members, is one of the largest in South Africa and plays a significant role in the automotive sector, a major contributor to the country’s GDP and employment.
What is Ford’s position on the strike?
Ford South Africa has responded to the strike notice by advising non-striking employees to work from home for the duration of the strike.
Ford’s corporate communications manager Duduzile Nxele spotlighted Ford’s long-term commitment to South Africa, noting the substantial investments made in the country.
In November 2023, Ford SA announced an R5.2 billion investment to transform its South African subsidiary into the only global manufacturer of plug-in hybrid-electric Ranger bakkies.
By the end of 2024, Ford will have invested a total of R35 billion in its South African operations since 2011, when the Silverton vehicle assembly plant in Tshwane switched exclusively to Ranger production.
Nxele expressed concerns about the impact of production disruptions on South Africa’s economy and global reputation as a reliable place to do business.
“When making decisions about future investment, consistency of production is vital to maintaining competitiveness and an important factor when determining manufacturing locations,” she said.