Trade unions and employers in the metal and engineering industry reached an agreement on Wednesday, ending a two-day strike, union Solidarity said.
However, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) dismissed claims that it had reached an agreement. ”The strike will continue until employers have made a substantial offer,” Numsa general secretary Silumko Nondwangu told a media briefing in Johannesburg.
”Our members will receive salary increases of between 8% and 9%,” Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said in a statement.
But Numsa said it did not participate in a meeting with the Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of South Africa on Wednesday in which Solidarity signed an agreement on wage increases. ”We were not part of that meeting,” Nondwangu said.
Numsa’s national executive committee decided the industrial action will continue and that office bearers will meet negotiators for a comprehensive report on Friday. Nondwangu said Numsa is the majority union in the sector and the sector’s bargaining council does not allow minority unions to sign enforceable agreements. ”There is no deal without Numsa.”
However, the fact that Numsa did not participate in Wednesday’s meetings did not suggest it would not meet employers, if available, later on Wednesday. Nondwangu said there was an informal indication that the employer would move its wage offer up to 9%.
Solidarity’s Kleynhans said earlier that increases specified in the agreement ”are in line with our calculations of worker inflation and the consequent increased cost of living experienced by workers over the past 12 months”.
”The metal and engineering industry plays a vital role in the economic development of our country,” he said. ”By ensuring that the industry will entice artisans, engineers and technicians with favourable wages rather than sacrificing skilled workers to other industries and other countries, our country will reap tremendous future benefits.”
Solidarity said firms like Cape Gate offered a 15% increase for artisans and 20% for technicians, while Barloworld offered a 10% increase plus a R1 500 skills allowance, and Stainless Fabricators an additional 12% increase, bringing the total increase to about 20%.
”We regard this as another great victory for our members,” Kleynhans said.
Another strike looms
Meanwhile, workers in the chemical, wood and paper industry will strike at the end of the month if their labour demands are not met by July 25, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union said on Wednesday.
The union’s general secretary, Welile Nolingo, said in a press release that it will canvas other unions’ support to embark on a ”full-blown strike” on July 30 if its demands are not met.
Nolingo said the union’s members in the chemical, wood and paper industry are either in deadlock or in dispute-resolving processes regarding various labour demands, including an across-the-board 10% wage increase, six months’ fully paid maternity leave, a minimum wage of R4 000 per month and a 20% shift allowance for all shifts.
The union is also asking that workers employed by labour brokers be given the same benefits as permanent employees. It will be mobilising its members about these demands and convene a national strategic committee meeting on July 26 to finalise strike notices, Nolingo said. — Sapa