NUMSA affiliates at Ford to down tools over bonuses

JOHANNESBURG - Ford South Africa workers affiliated with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) will embark on a strike from Thursday over the payment of bonuses.

The union issued a strike notice after talks with the company broke down last month.

NUMSA said the company refused to pay workers bonuses, despite a capacity to build 720 cars a day.

In response, Ford said it expected the strike to impact the local economy heavily.

NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the union’s members have been left with no choice but to down tools.

"Ford has benefitted hugely from the sweat and labour of workers. 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,” she said.