Steelworkers, ICEM Global Week of Action Escalates
25 June 1999
Steelworkers, ICEM Global Week of Action Escalates
South African Tire Workers Strike Continental AG in Support of
North Carolina Strikers
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, June 24 -- Eight hundred
rubber workers employed at Continental AG's General Tyre Ltd. tire plant here
went on strike today for almost two hours in solidarity with rubber workers
currently on strike against Continental's General Tire plant in Charlotte,
North Carolina in the United States.
The South African workers laid down their tools this morning and, joined
by an additional 150 union shop stewards, marched to the office of
Continental's South African chief executive officer, delivering 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 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 counter-
parts 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 accede to the workers'
demands in Charlotte," added Dumisa Ntuli, NUMSA spokesman. "The company's
refusal to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement with the United
Steelworkers 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 is the site of a strike, begun on September
20, 1998, by 1,450 members of USWA Local 850 over the company's unfair labor
practices. The German-based Continental, which has already been indicted by
the U.S. National Labor Relations Board on five counts of violating U.S.
federal labor laws, contends it has hired 800 "permanent replacement" workers
at the Charlotte facility.
"NUMSA's action is a tremendous show of global labor solidarity for the
Charlotte strikers," said ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "The South
African tire 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 workers' action is part of a global week of action
against Continental, begun on June 21, that is being coordinated by the ICEM.
Other activities this week have included protests at Ford Motor Co.
dealerships in 61 U.S. cities; Ford uses Continental tires as original
equipment on several of its models. Protests have also taken place at German
consulates in several U.S. cities, and protests have been lodged by La
Centrale Generale, the union representing Continental's Belgian workers, and
Federation Chimie Energie CFDT, the union representing Continental's French
workers. In addition, a demonstration is scheduled for tomorrow at the German
consulate in Sydney, Australia, organized by the Australian Council of Trade
Unions and the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union.
The ICEM and the USWA also recently filed a complaint with the UN's
International Labor Organization (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 tires a day for auto manufacturers in South Africa and for the export
market.
More information on the ICEM-USWA campaign against Continental can be
found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.icem.org/campaigns/conticamp/index.html.
More information on the ICEM's North American activities can be found at
http://www.icemna.org.