Engineering News reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has declared a deadlock in wage negotiations with the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa).
Seifsa reported in a statement on Wednesday on a bargaining council meeting, facilitated by a senior CCMA commissioner, which had been held earlier that day with labour unions Numsa, Solidarity, Uasa, Mewusa and the Saewa. The meeting ended with Numsa registering a deadlock in response to Seifsa’s offer. Seifsa stated that the conditional offer presented to the unions had been based on a three year window “with increases in year 1 being linked to a 4.4% increment linked to CPI and in year 2022 receiving a guaranteed increase of CPI plus 0.5% and in 2023 CPI plus 1%.” As part of the proposed agreement, “a special phase-in dispensation has been formulated and will be made available to employers who are currently paying below the current minimum rates and are not members of an employer organisation that is a party to the main agreement, on the proviso that any such employer can prove membership of an employer organisation that is a party to this settlement agreement.” According to Seifsa, while Numsa registered its deadlock, the other trade unions did not, for the time being, follow suit. “All the trade unions in today’s (Wednesday’s) session have indicated their willingness and availability to continue negotiations with a view to finding common ground,” said Seifsa, which added that it would report back to its council on 2 August and take a view of the best possible way forward.
- Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Engineering News
- Read Seifsa’s press statement on this matter at Seifsa News
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page