BL Premium reports that employers in SA’s plastics industry have tabled a multi-year wage proposal to unions in the sector’s bargaining council aimed at bringing stability to businesses employing nearly 40,000 workers nationally.
CEO of the Plastic Convertors Association of SA, Natalie van Vreden, said employers had tabled a three-year wage offer with increases based on minimum rates of pay of 7% in the first year and 6% in the two outer years, respectively. “The three-year duration will ensure stability and sustainability within the plastics industry for employers and employees,” Van Vreden noted. The wage talks began on 10 April with the offer to unions – including the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), National Union of Mineworkers, Uasa, Mewusa and Saewa – tabled on 20 May. “The offer presented to the trade unions … is conditional and unmandated as the understanding among the parties is that both sides will take the offer back to their respective constituencies in an endeavour to receive a mandate to hopefully settle,” Van Vreden explained. The parties will reconvene on 6 June to receive feedback from all involved. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola on Monday confirmed that an offer was on the table and said the union was discussing it with its structures. She recently said the union’s demands included a one-year 10% across-the-board wage increase “on the actual rates of pay”, reconfiguration of shifts, and removal of area differentials.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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