Production returned to normal on Monday at Johnson Matthey SA in Germiston after workers accepted a 12% wage increase and a promise contract workers would be absorbed into the company.
According to Dumisa Ntuli of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the settlement falls just one percent short of the workers’ original demand for a 13% pay hike. However a company spokesman said the average percentage increase was in fact 11,5%.
Ntuli said the agreement had been reached following a three-day strike last week.
He said apart from the wage agreement, significant progress had been made in ensuring contract workers were taken on board as permanent members of staff with all the benefits that that implied.
Johnson Matthey MD Michael Loughlin, said they were pleased with the outcome of negotiations and that the average wage increase amounted to 11,5%.
He confirmed that a number of contract workers would be absorbed into the company.
However, there appeared to be significant discrepancies on both sides on just how many of the 700-strong workforce joined the strike last week and how many of them were employed on a contract basis. Ultimately both sides seemed pleased that a resolution to the wage negotiations had been achieved. – Sapa