Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa)‚ who are employed by Toyota South Africa‚ have downed tools and embarked on a protected strike on Monday.
Operations at the Toyota South Africa Motors plant in Prospecton‚ Durban‚ and at the warehouse facility in Atlas Road‚ Johannesburg‚ had been suspended.
The union has accused Toyota's management of "stubbornly" refusing to engage with their demands.
"Toyota is an untransformed company which routinely fails Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) compliance targets‚” the union charged.
“They also repeatedly fail to meet their own employment equity targets. This is because there is no political will from the management team to genuinely address these issues‚" said spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said in a statement.
Hlubi-Majola said the loans given to workers - as a boost to help them following the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal in 2017 - must be amended to donations.
Workers also demanded a transformation committee which would oversee and participate in recruitment and procurement processes.
They further demanded that Toyota should hire 70% contract workers‚ which would be a combination of ex-temporary workers and database‚ and 30% through learnerships.
Other demands included: free medical consultation‚ bonuses to be divided equally between all workers if targets were met‚ transport allowances‚ and quality work wear for both male and female workers.
Toyota South Africa's Clynton Yon said they had a "mutually respectful relationship with Numsa”.
Yon said the company was committed to continuing engagements with the union to resolve the situation.
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