Durban Numsa workers assemble ahead of march

Thousands of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) members have converged in Durban for a march through the city streets in support of their wage demands in the steel and engineering sector. Workers have been on strike since Monday.

They met late into the night last night with business in Johannesburg. Unions have submitted a revised offer of 9% for unskilled workers and 8% for skilled workers. Business is offering 7.3% to 7.8%. Thulani Ngubane, the provincial organiser, says they also want the workers to benefit from Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) projects.

Numsa is expected to announce shortly whether it has accepted or rejected employer organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa's (SEIFSA) new wage offer.

Meanwhile the Road Accident Fund (RAF) employees who are members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), are gearing up for a strike on Monday. Jimmy Mamadisha, the Satawu chairperson, says support for the strike is overwhelming. Mamadisha says more than 1 500 of their members will take to the streets in all major cities. Satawu members are demanding an 8% wage increase, and RAF is only offering 6.3%.