Ford Silverton Assembly Plant Workers Return As Strike Ends

July 9, 2024 11:00 am

Last fall, Ford faced a six-week-long targeted strike from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union that impacted several it of its assembly plants, though a tentative agreement was later reached, and subsequently ratified by workers – setting the stage for the UAW to expand its efforts to unionize U.S.-based plants operated by other automakers. Those efforts have produced mixed results thus far, but recently, the Ford Silverton Assembly plant in South Africa was also dealing with its own strike – though that action has now ended, it seems.

According to IOL, around 3,000 workers at the Ford Silverton Assembly plant have returned to work after the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) went on strike last Thursday following a court order that temporarily put a halt to those efforts. That solution makes any sort of ensuing strike illegal in the short term, though the court must still decide whether or not its decision will be permanent.

The court reportedly made its decision to halt the strike due to the economic impact it was having on the community as a whole, coupled with competitive concerns. However, NUMSA argues that it was justified, as its workers haven’t received bonuses, even though the automaker has raked in “substantial” profits as of late. “Our members are the creators of wealth and Ford has benefited hugely from the sweat and labor of the workers,” said NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola. “Ford management pretends not to understand the demand and they keep claiming it is ‘impermissible’ and they claim that workers have no right to demand bonuses. We reject this with the contempt it deserves.”

The Ford Silverton Assembly plant began producing the redesigned Ford Ranger some time ago following a massive $1 billion investment by the automaker that completely transformed that facility, as well as installing high-tech equipment and ramping up production to meet high demand. Currently, the plant churns out around 720 Ranger units per day, employing 5,500 workers and indirectly supporting approximately 60,000 jobs across Ford’s local supplier network.

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By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.