South Africa’s biggest engineering metalworkers union National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has launched an indefinite strike on 5 October 2021 seeking pay raises. With around 155,000 members organised in the sector, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has called for a total shutdown of the South Africa’s engineering industry after wage hike talks with employer bodies became deadlocked and arbitration failed. NUMSA said “We are left with no choice but to strike and to withhold our labour indefinitely until the bosses give into our just demands. Today we shut down the engineering sector! We demand a meaningful increase! We demand 8%! We reject 4.4%. We will strike until all demands are met”In response to NUMSA’s declaration of strike action, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa had served a notice of a defensive Lock out on 1 October 2021. Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa had said “By virtue of this notice, SEIFSA, on behalf of its Associations, has reserved the rights of the membership to implement a lock-out in response to strike action, should a company wish to do so.In the interim, SEIFSA’s Negotiating Team is continuing to explore all settlement possibilities with organised labour in an endeavour to limit the impact that the strike and lock-out will have on the industry.”Thereafter, South Africa’s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Picketing Rules earlier issued Picketing Rules binding the Parties behaviour during the industrial actionManagement recognises the right of workers to strikeManagement recognises the right of those workers who do not wish to participate in strike action NOT to strikeActs of intimidation, victimisation and/or forcing employees who do not wish to participate in strike action to do so against their will – witnessed and/or reported to management, will not be condoned or tolerated and the appropriate and necessary disciplinary action will be takenAll acts of damage to company property, witnessed, recorded and/or reported to management will likewise lead to disciplinary action on the grounds of serious misconductAll absences from work and/or work stations as a consequence of participating in strike action will be treated on the basis of NO WORK; NO PAYAfter a deadlock with multiple steel and engineering federations during wage negotiations last month, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa had announced in September that it would embark on a strike in October after employers, refused to give workers wage increases in round of negotiations in the Engineering sector.NUMSA had deadlocked with all employer associations in Engineering, namely NEASA, SEIFSA, SAEFA and the CEO of the Metals Engineering Industries Bargaining Council. NUMSA on behalf of its members in the industry is calling on employers to meet demand of an 8% increase across the board for the first year, and CPI + 2% improvement factor for the second and third year. If CPI + 2% falls below 6%, employers must offer 6% or re-open negotiations. But industry body Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa has offered a 4.4% hike for 2021, inflation plus 0.5% in 2022 and inflation plus 1% in the third year.
South Africa’s biggest engineering metalworkers union National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has launched an indefinite strike on 5 October 2021 seeking pay raises. With around 155,000 members organised in the sector, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has called for a total shutdown of the South Africa’s engineering industry after wage hike talks with employer bodies became deadlocked and arbitration failed. NUMSA said “We are left with no choice but to strike and to withhold our labour indefinitely until the bosses give into our just demands. Today we shut down the engineering sector! We demand a meaningful increase! We demand 8%! We reject 4.4%. We will strike until all demands are met”In response to NUMSA’s declaration of strike action, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa had served a notice of a defensive Lock out on 1 October 2021. Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa had said “By virtue of this notice, SEIFSA, on behalf of its Associations, has reserved the rights of the membership to implement a lock-out in response to strike action, should a company wish to do so.In the interim, SEIFSA’s Negotiating Team is continuing to explore all settlement possibilities with organised labour in an endeavour to limit the impact that the strike and lock-out will have on the industry.”Thereafter, South Africa’s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Picketing Rules earlier issued Picketing Rules binding the Parties behaviour during the industrial actionManagement recognises the right of workers to strikeManagement recognises the right of those workers who do not wish to participate in strike action NOT to strikeActs of intimidation, victimisation and/or forcing employees who do not wish to participate in strike action to do so against their will – witnessed and/or reported to management, will not be condoned or tolerated and the appropriate and necessary disciplinary action will be takenAll acts of damage to company property, witnessed, recorded and/or reported to management will likewise lead to disciplinary action on the grounds of serious misconductAll absences from work and/or work stations as a consequence of participating in strike action will be treated on the basis of NO WORK; NO PAYAfter a deadlock with multiple steel and engineering federations during wage negotiations last month, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa had announced in September that it would embark on a strike in October after employers, refused to give workers wage increases in round of negotiations in the Engineering sector.NUMSA had deadlocked with all employer associations in Engineering, namely NEASA, SEIFSA, SAEFA and the CEO of the Metals Engineering Industries Bargaining Council. NUMSA on behalf of its members in the industry is calling on employers to meet demand of an 8% increase across the board for the first year, and CPI + 2% improvement factor for the second and third year. If CPI + 2% falls below 6%, employers must offer 6% or re-open negotiations. But industry body Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa has offered a 4.4% hike for 2021, inflation plus 0.5% in 2022 and inflation plus 1% in the third year.
