Metal workers converge on Newtown for strike march

Hundreds of metal sector workers converged in Newtown, Johannesburg for a march in support of their strike for a wage increase.

They arrived in buses, taxis, and trains. Many wore red T-shirts bearing the logo of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the majority union in the sector.

The carried placards that read: "Training and career paths for our members", "Housing allowance equals to better living", and "Down with slavery wages".

They sang songs, some of them rebuking employers.

Members of trade union Uasa were also in attendance.

Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese said the Uasa members were there to support the strike.

The union wants a 12 percent salary increase, the scrapping of labour brokers, and a one-year bargaining agreement.

A deadlock in negotiations led to a notice of strike action from the Numsa, as well as the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers' Union, and the General Industries Workers' Union of SA.

Employers have tabled a three-year wage offer of between seven and eight percent for different levels of workers in the first year, and CPI-linked increases for 2015 and 2016.