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Fin24 reports that two employer associations in the metals and engineering sector say the chances of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) getting it right to extend its wage deal with the Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) to other employers and workers in the sector are slim, and any attempt to do so would be met with resistance.
On Friday, Numsa announced that it had ended its strike in the sector after concluding a deal for a 6% wage increase with Seifsa. It indicated that it would be looking to have that agreement extended to all businesses in the sector. In order to have the deal extended, Numsa must approach the Metal and Engineering Bargaining Council (Meibc), which will have to make a formal request to Minister of Labour and Employment, Thulas Nxesi, who must exercise his discretion to make a determination. National Employer Association of SA (Neasa) CEO Gerhard Papenfus maintained flatly that Numsa would not succeed in getting its agreement with Seifsa extended to other employers in the sector, including those represented by him. “That's not gonna happen. We will block it. I have blocked it for ten years now. I blocked it in 2011 and we will block it again. They simply don't have the representation required to do it. They can try but they will fail," said Papenfus. SA Engineers and Founders Association (Saefa) director Gordon Angus said that he did not see a strong chance of Numsa extending its deal in a way that was legally and constitutionally consistent. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said there were still a few steps in the process before Numsa could approach Minister Nxesi for a formal determination that would extend the agreement. Labour and Employment spokesperson Musa Zondo confirmed that Nxesi had not received any request from the MEIBC to extend Numsa's deal.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
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