4th July 2011

Monday night, long cold day in a freezing windy warehouse.  Most miserable.  When is Summer coming, can't wait to jump up in the morning and throw on a dress..

Striking metal workers halt Joburg traffic

Thousands of metal workers have descended on the Joburg CBD vowing to bring the city to a standstill to highlight their demands.

JMPD and SAPS officials were this morning diverting traffic as bus loads of workers made their way to the Workers' Museum in Newtown.

With the planned march to the Harrison Street offices of Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa (Seifsa), the march was likely to disrupt midday and afternoon traffic.

This would be further exacerbated by the ANC's weekly National Working Committee meeting, which prompts the closure of a section of President Street.

Unions, including Numsa representing 117000 workers, called the strike to demand a 13% pay increase, down from their initial demand of 20%.

Employers are offering 7%.

“We have to bring Johannesburg to a standstill so people know it's the metalworkers that are on strike,” announced a speaker addressing the crowd from the back of a flatbed truck. - Beauregard Tromp