Numsa calls for rolling mass action to 'close down SAA'

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) maintained on Wednesday that it would embark on a strike on Friday and ground SA Airways (SAA) until workers' grievances are addressed.

General secretary Irvin Jim told journalists that the government "must stimulate the economy to avoid looming job cuts". 

SAA must be funded by the state

Jim said SOEs were faced with a “rampant right-wing capitalist agenda to auction and attack all hard-won gains of workers” when it came to National Treasury and the department of public enterprises. “We believe SAA must be funded by the state,” he said.

We will fight 

“We're embarking on a rolling mass action. On Monday we're calling on Saftu [SA Federation of Trade Unions] to lead the mother of all battles against privatisation.”

We need change

“We're sick and tired of the fiasco of investment conferences, but at the end of the day we see no job creation. What we see is a permanent attack on hard-won gains of workers. The best way to turn around this economy is for workers to demand that the state must intervene in the economy.”

No belt-tightening 

“Workers are affected by the socio-economic conditions and to expect the workers at SAA to embark on belt-tightening, we are saying come Friday, workers must fight for themselves and all other workers must give solidarity to the workers at SAA. We cannot continue to allow this government to do as it wishes. We have kept quiet for too long.”

Grounding of SAA

“We're grounding that airline on Friday. That airline must not move. This strike will be an indefinite strike until these people come to the table. As we resume the strike, we will be giving them another notice for a secondary strike. If they think we are playing, they must actually watch what is coming.”