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13 July, 2005ICEM News Release No. 36/1999
Eight hundred South African employees of global tyremaker Continental went on strike today in support of American colleagues currently embroiled in a long-running dispute with Conti's US subsidiary.
The South African warning strike at Conti's General Tyre plant in Port Elizabeth today lasted for almost two hours. It was held in solidarity with rubber workers currently on strike at Continental's General Tire plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the United States.
The South African workers downed tools this morning and, joined by an additional 150 union shop stewards, marched to the office of Continental's South African chief executive officer. There, they delivered a letter demanding that the company settle the strike in North Carolina. The CEO immediately agreed to forward the South African union's demands to Continental's parent company headquarters in Hanover, Germany.
The South African rubber workers are members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), and the American rubber workers are members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA). Both unions are affiliated globally with the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
"The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa in General Tyre, South Africa, Port Elizabeth, is disgusted by the attitude shown by Continental General Tyre in Charlotte, United States of America, in failing to resolve and negotiate in good faith a protected industrial action led by members of the United Steelworkers of America," stated the union's memorandum of demands. "We are utterly disgusted that the local management in General Tyre South Africa has refused to intervene to bring sense and reason to their counterparts in Continental Tyre, Charlotte, in the United States of America ... We demand that you use your influence and impress upon management in Charlotte to negotiate in good faith with our fellow comrades represented by the United Steelworkers of America."
"NUMSA is angry with Continental for refusing to acceed to the workers' demands in Charlotte," added Dumisa Ntuli, NUMSA spokesman. "The company's refusal to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement with the USWA is an international disgrace for the company. NUMSA cannot accept a situation where the company is making huge profits and wants workers to accept substandard wages and working conditions. It was clear today that the workers at Continental's Gentyre in South Africa demonstrated their anger at the company and in support of our fellow workers in the USA."
Continental's Charlotte plant in the USA is the site of a strike, begun on September 20, 1998, by 1,450 members of USWA Local 850 over the company's unfair labour practices. German-based Continental, which has already been indicted by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board on five counts of violating US federal labour laws, contends it has hired 800 "permanent replacement" workers at the Charlotte facility.
Today's South African action is "a tremendous demonstration of global labour solidarity for the Charlotte strikers," said ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "The South African tyre workers understand that Continental's abuse of American workers is also an insult to them, and they have acted accordingly. It's time that Continental's management in Hanover got the message that this dispute is going to continue to grow until a just settlement is negotiated in North Carolina."
"We are extremely grateful for this act of solidarity by our South African brothers and sisters," added George Becker, USWA President and chairman of the ICEM’s global rubber section. "They have given new meaning to the old union adage that 'an injury to one is an injury to all.'"
The South African protest is part of a global week of action against Continental, begun on June 21, which is being coordinated by the ICEM.
Other activities this week include protests at Ford Motor Co. dealerships in 61 US cities. Ford fits General tyres as original equipment on several of its models in the US. Also scheduled are protests at German consulates in several US cities.
Protests have also been lodged in Belgium by ICEM affiliate the Centrale Générale/Algemene Centrale, the union representing Continental's Belgian workers, and in France by ICEM affiliate the FCE-CFDT.
A demonstration will be held tomorrow at the German consulate in Sydney, Australia. This demo is organised by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and ICEM Australian affiliate the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU).
The ICEM and the USWA also recently filed a complaint with the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) concerning Continental's violations of basic worker rights in Charlotte.
Continental acquired a 60% interest in Gentyre on July 1, 1998. The company, now called Continental Tyre South Africa (Pty) Ltd., produces about 10,000 tyres a day for car manufacturers in South Africa and for the export market.
The South African warning strike at Conti's General Tyre plant in Port Elizabeth today lasted for almost two hours. It was held in solidarity with rubber workers currently on strike at Continental's General Tire plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the United States.
The South African workers downed tools this morning and, joined by an additional 150 union shop stewards, marched to the office of Continental's South African chief executive officer. There, they delivered a letter demanding that the company settle the strike in North Carolina. The CEO immediately agreed to forward the South African union's demands to Continental's parent company headquarters in Hanover, Germany.
The South African rubber workers are members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), and the American rubber workers are members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA). Both unions are affiliated globally with the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
"The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa in General Tyre, South Africa, Port Elizabeth, is disgusted by the attitude shown by Continental General Tyre in Charlotte, United States of America, in failing to resolve and negotiate in good faith a protected industrial action led by members of the United Steelworkers of America," stated the union's memorandum of demands. "We are utterly disgusted that the local management in General Tyre South Africa has refused to intervene to bring sense and reason to their counterparts in Continental Tyre, Charlotte, in the United States of America ... We demand that you use your influence and impress upon management in Charlotte to negotiate in good faith with our fellow comrades represented by the United Steelworkers of America."
"NUMSA is angry with Continental for refusing to acceed to the workers' demands in Charlotte," added Dumisa Ntuli, NUMSA spokesman. "The company's refusal to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement with the USWA is an international disgrace for the company. NUMSA cannot accept a situation where the company is making huge profits and wants workers to accept substandard wages and working conditions. It was clear today that the workers at Continental's Gentyre in South Africa demonstrated their anger at the company and in support of our fellow workers in the USA."
Continental's Charlotte plant in the USA is the site of a strike, begun on September 20, 1998, by 1,450 members of USWA Local 850 over the company's unfair labour practices. German-based Continental, which has already been indicted by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board on five counts of violating US federal labour laws, contends it has hired 800 "permanent replacement" workers at the Charlotte facility.
Today's South African action is "a tremendous demonstration of global labour solidarity for the Charlotte strikers," said ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "The South African tyre workers understand that Continental's abuse of American workers is also an insult to them, and they have acted accordingly. It's time that Continental's management in Hanover got the message that this dispute is going to continue to grow until a just settlement is negotiated in North Carolina."
"We are extremely grateful for this act of solidarity by our South African brothers and sisters," added George Becker, USWA President and chairman of the ICEM’s global rubber section. "They have given new meaning to the old union adage that 'an injury to one is an injury to all.'"
The South African protest is part of a global week of action against Continental, begun on June 21, which is being coordinated by the ICEM.
Other activities this week include protests at Ford Motor Co. dealerships in 61 US cities. Ford fits General tyres as original equipment on several of its models in the US. Also scheduled are protests at German consulates in several US cities.
Protests have also been lodged in Belgium by ICEM affiliate the Centrale Générale/Algemene Centrale, the union representing Continental's Belgian workers, and in France by ICEM affiliate the FCE-CFDT.
A demonstration will be held tomorrow at the German consulate in Sydney, Australia. This demo is organised by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and ICEM Australian affiliate the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU).
The ICEM and the USWA also recently filed a complaint with the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) concerning Continental's violations of basic worker rights in Charlotte.
Continental acquired a 60% interest in Gentyre on July 1, 1998. The company, now called Continental Tyre South Africa (Pty) Ltd., produces about 10,000 tyres a day for car manufacturers in South Africa and for the export market.