Strike continues, but some production resumes at South African Continental plant

Production resumed, albeit at a reduced level, at Continental’s Port Elizabeth factory in South Africa last Friday, ten days after strike action halted all production there. Workers belonging to NUMSA, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, went on strike on 15 April over a pay dispute, and the limited production now taking place in Port Elizabeth is being performed by non-union members. In a statement, plant spokeswoman Nomfundo Hlela said the factory was not operating at full capacity.

The NUMSA-affiliated workers reportedly want Continental to pay them time-and-a-half wages for working on Saturdays and double their normal wage for Sundays. They claim this was agreed upon by the plant’s bargaining council in 2010.