If the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) does not accept a wage offer from the Fuel Retailers Association and the Retail Motor Industry, the union will announce a strike on Thursday.
Spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli said on Tuesday the union, which represents 180 000 workers at petrol stations, component factories, car dealerships and panel-beating shops, is demanding a wage increase of 5% over the current inflation rate of 6,9%.
It also wants area wage differentials to be removed immediately.
Ntuli said Numsa received the employer bodies’ final wage offer on Monday, and could not divulge the proposal’s details because members had to be consulted.
”The union will only divulge the details of the proposals at the end of the week after all workers in the sector are fully consulted.”
However Monday’s talks with employer bodies were ”impressive and constructive”, Ntuli said. Managements had made changes to their previous positions and closed the divide on what was best for the industry.
The union would meet with the employer bodies again on Thursday and was ”optimistic” the conflict would be resolved.
Numsa has always maintained that above-inflation-rate wage increases are necessary to address the purchasing power of those on the lower levels. Price instability, unemployment and poverty also needs to be addressed.
”The inability of workers to actively participate in the consumption of goods and services has resulted in a significantly uneven and underdeveloped home market. The wages must be increased to an optimum level,” Numsa said. — Sapa