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The National Union of Metalworkers South Africa (Numsa) has announced that thousands of workers will return to work after days of strike action at the Ford Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria.
Last weekthe union said it would participate in industrial action to demand bonus payments from the motoring company, as well as a share in the profits.
The strike was then forcibly halted after Ford approached the Johannesburg Labour Court for an interim interdict. Despite the interdict, union workers continued to protest. The motoring company warned that any continued strike action would be unlawful and unprotected.
On Thursday, the union announced that the deadlock had been broken following negotiations with Ford.
Numsa secretary-general Irvin Jim said in a statement: “Despite Ford securing an interim order from the Labour Court and Ford’s subsequent threat of dismissal, over 3 000 workers refused to return to work and production ground to a halt. Numsa … negotiated that Ford pay workers R20 000 … each … as a deadlock-breaking mechanism and to pay these monies as soon as possible following the return of workers to the workplace.”
Jim said workers would not face any disciplinary action for participation in the strike, and should return to work on Friday morning.
In a statement, Ford confirmed that it had reached an amicable agreement with the union and that operations would resume at the plant for Ford Ranger production.
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