NUMSA Takes Issue with Continental Tyre's Restructuring

ICEM affiliate National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is in dispute with German rubber producer Continental Tyre over shift changes and restructuring at a Port Elizabeth factory. Up to 200 of the plant’s 1,400 workers could be retrenched under a company plan to cut weekend shift operations and manpower in various departments. Because management imposed the restructuring without consultation with NUMSA—a violation of the tyre industry agreement—over 300 workers staged spontaneous stop-work actions last week.