700 striking workers fired at Billiton company

MOZAMBIQUE/SOUTH AFRICA: Today (October 3), after only several hours of strike action at Mozal, a Billiton aluminium plant near Maputo, the 700 striking workers — members of the IMF-affiliated SINTIME trade union – were formally dismissed by the company, which used police and dogs to evict the workers from the premises. The dispute began over workers’ demands for:

• the right to proper collective bargaining,
• the right to strike,
• improved working conditions,
• better wages,
• an end to discrimination.

In an attempt to break the strike, Mozal tried various strategies. On October 2, the company accused the senior shop steward of intimidating workers and then had him arrested and detained by police for four hours. It also recruited 150 white workers in South Africa to be used as scab labour. The company issued the letters of dismissal without any previous ultimatum.
In view of this situation, the IMF’s regional office, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and SINTIME are coordinating solidarity action by workers in all plants owned by Billiton in South Africa. Numsa will try to set up a meeting with top Billiton management and along with the IMF is sending protest letters to the company. From October 4, all workers from different Billiton plants will begin picket action to put pressure on management. A southern African Billiton meeting is being set up by the IMF’s regional office for October 6.
The IMF would ask its affiliates, particularly those organising in Billiton plants, to raise this issue with Billiton management. Protest letters can be addressed as follows:

• Mohammed Seedat, Vice-President
  BHP Billiton, Southern Africa
  Fax: (27/35) 908-8160
  
• Mike Salamon, Executive Director
  BHP Billiton Plc
  London WC2N 5HA
  Fax: (44/207) 747-3900
  
• K. Ngquta, Managing Director
  Industrial Development Corporation
  Fax: (27/11) 269-3113
  

We would also request messages of solidarity be sent to the striking Billiton workers, via the SINTIME union, on:
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: (258/1) 421-671 or 422-141.