LIMUSA Condemns disinvestment by GM
Mawonga Madolo
LIMUSA Condemns disinvestment decision by General Motors in South Africa
The Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa condemns in the strongest terms possible General Motors for its disregard, from the outset, of consultation with organised workers in South Africa when the company's global headquarters conceived of the restructuring in the first place.
It is clear that the decision by General Motors to exit manufacturing in South Africa was not made by General Motors South Africa. It was made by General Motors global headquarters in the United States without consulting with its South African workers and their unions. It is therefore inherently a unilateral decision with far reaching consequences. Consultation on the decision will not be a meaningful, consensus-seeking consultation. It will be a meaningless talk show on what is already fait accompli. It will therefore exclude reasonable alternatives as a decision to sell some brands has already been made. In addition the Isuzu model being manufactured in Port Elizabeth does not belong to General Motors. It belongs to Isuzu Motors.
Limusa will do its best in the common interests of workers. We will seek co-operation with other unions and engagement with government in confronting the crisis imposed by General Motors on workers. The state-led approach followed by South Africa after the breakout of the global capitalist crisis in 2007/8 could be very useful as compared merely to leaving the matter at a company level. During that period as a country we produced the South African response to the crisis through meaningful social dialogue. It is important, similarly, to recognise that the exit from manufacturing in South Africa by General Motors, which is water under the bridge, will impact on workers employed at suppliers as well. The importance of state intervention to minimise or mitigate the impact cannot therefore be over-emphasised.
Limusa will engage with our federation the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) at the forthcoming Central Committee about the situation and the union's proposals.
Issued by Secretariat
Cedric Gina – 083 364 7977