EVOWOOD
Communications breakdown threatens revival of mill
Hardened attitudes on both sides might spell the closure of the Evowood mill, leading to the loss of more than 700 jobs
Estcourt-based hardboard manufacturer Evowood (formerly Masonite SA) faces possible closure as a result of industrial action stemming from an apparent communications breakdown and a trade union’s disarray. The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) accuses the company’s management of breaking payment promises, but the managers point to an agreement accepting salary cuts and signed in November. Hardened attitudes on both sides might spell the closure of the mill established 75 years ago, leading to the loss of more than 700 jobs. The KwaZulu-Natal government and the Estcourt council are concerned about the devastation that would be caused by the closure of one of the town’s main employers. They are also worried that continuing, aggressive industrial action similar to that at Evowood could have significantly repercussions for the province’s attempts to reindustrialise small towns and promote black ownership in the manufacturing sector. The dispute ...
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