Strike continues at car dealer
AT LEAST one employee of Limpopo Toyota, a car dealership in Polokwane, has been arrested in connection with protests that started Friday last week.
Sylvester Legodi, 34, appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate ’ s Court yesterday after a case was opened against him for allegedly damaging a company car.
Legodi was released on warning and the case of malicious damage to property was postponed to April 21 to allow for further police investigations.
Legodi said yesterday he had opened a counter case of crimen injuria against a white manager who allegedly swore at him.
Legodi was among more than 100 employees and members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) who downed tools, demanding the “immediate ” resignation of the company management.
They accused management of alleged corruption, which included them conducting their own businesses against company policy.
The workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that, upon confronting management about this, they were told there would be retrenchments, including permanent employees who had worked for more than 20 years, and placements on contracts.
Five shop stewards have been suspended, an action which triggered the strike.
Numsa provincial organiser Elias Matutu said yesterday they wanted the issues raised to be attended to as a matter of urgency.
“But management has instead claimed the strike was violent and a court process is still under way.”
Gordon Ferns, the principal dealer, said yesterday the shop stewards were suspended because they had made false allegations.
“We started with restructuring and obviously it would lead to retrenchments. It is still in the early stages and so far nobody has been threatened with retrenchment.”