Ferial Haffajee
GOVERNMENT has begun to reap the benefits of the new Labour Relations Act, with disputes increasingly being institutionalised. This has meant less action on the streets.
Andrew Levy & Associates says strikes for the first half of the year dropped by more than a third compared with same period last year.
Consultant Gavin Brown says: “It’s the first time in three years that the public service negotiations have gone into dispute, but otherwise it’s normal for this time of the year.” Most analysts suggest average increases will match current inflation of 9,5%.
This is the state of negotiations:
ENGINEERING
Workers: l 285 000, of whom 278000 are members of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).
Demands: An inflation-matched increase. The new demand for 9,5% is down substantially from the opening demand of 16% to 22%.
Offers: Employers have offered an 8% increase for artisans and 8,5% for other workers, up from the 7% offered during the last round.
Other demands: Numsa wants 200 hours paid training a year. Employers say this is untenable as it amounts to a month off every year for training.
Comment: Numsa and the employer body, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation, are in dispute but negotiations are continuing.
MINING
Workers: About 300 000 workers belonging to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Mynwerkers Unie, two officials’ unions and Electrical Workers Union.
Demands: NUM wants a minimum wage of R1 200 a month, while employers are said to have offered a minimum R1 000 a month to be phased in over three years and an average increase of 8%. The Chamber of Mines does not reveal its wage offer but discussions with its unions continue.
Other demands: Employers want greater union flexibility on Full Calendar Operations, which saves on working costs and boosts productivity.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Workers: 1,2-million, of whom 316000 have declared a dispute.
Demands: The four Congress of South African Trade Unions-affiliated unions say government has committed itself to an inflation-busting increase, but has only offered 7,5%, while the government says its offer is 9%. Mediation will start soon.
In other notable settlements, about 65 000 workers in the tyre industry last week received an 11,5% increase, while clothing workers received 9,6%.
Numsa also expects a settlement in the auto-assembly sector, where a three-year wage agreement appears to be working well. Now De Beers is pushing for an agreement of the same duration to secure longer industrial peace. The dispute between De Beers and its trade unions, involving about 5 500 workers, of whom the majority are NUM members, was this week still before the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.