The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) launched a nation-wide strike demanding an 8% salary increase for workers on Tuesday, 05 October 2021.

According to multiple sources, organised marches took place all over the country in places such as Newtown in Johannesburg and videos surfacing on the NUMSA official facebook page showing members gatherings in Ekurhuleni, as well as in the KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Western Cape provinces.

Multiple sources have already indicated that bosses in the engineering sector have tabled an offer of 4.4% wage increase which the union have turned down adamant on an 8% salary increase for workers. NUMSA spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi, again re-iterated the Union’s stance on an 8% salary increase in a media statement yesterday.

“We are demanding an eight-percent increase across the board for the first year, as well as CPI plus two-percent for the second and third year and they [employers] are offering 4.4% in the first year as well as CPI and one-percent in the second year and CPI plus 0,5% in the third year,” said Hlubi, as quoted by eNCA. “Now for our members, this is completely unacceptable,” Hlubi added, as per eNCA. The National Union of Metal Workers have threatened that they continue with the strike until their demands are met.