The trade union Solidarity is going to take arms manufacturer Denel to the Arbitration Court in terms of an amendment to the Labour Relations Act to enforce a 9,5% wage increase agreement.
“As far as we know this will be the first time that a trade union will use the amendment to force an employer to implement an agreement that was reached at the bargaining council,” Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann said on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier on Wednesday, about 1 000 members of Solidarity and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) took part in a protest march at three of Denel’s divisions. It is the first time in 36 years that Denel workers have engaged in protest action against their employer.
Trade unions and employers signed a wage agreement of 9,5% earlier this year in the Metal and Engineering Bargaining Council. According to the unions, Denel is now refusing to implement the agreement, wanting instead to implement an increase of 4,5%.
“Solidarity will now call on the amendment made during August 2002. According to Article 33A of the Act trade unions can now enforce agreements reached at the bargaining council. Solidarity has already referred the dispute and is now waiting for the bargaining council to come up with a date when the arbitration can take place.
“In the meantime Denel asked the bargaining council for exemption from the agreement. All the unions need to give their approval for this, but Solidarity and Numsa already decided that they will withstand from it,” Hermann said.
“The frustration level of employees has now reached breaking point. Their production levels have decreased lately, because they do not receive market related wage increases. The rest of the metal and engineering industry have already implemented the agreement in July. What meaning does an agreement have if the employer refuses to implement it?” Hermann asked.
In the meantime the employees at Denel will continue with the protest action. It’s expected that more divisions will join the protest action on Thursday. The employees are also preparing for a full-scale strike if Denel does not implement the agreement. — I-Net Bridge