SEIFSA WELCOMES END OF METAL AND ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES STRIKE
JOHANNESBURG, 28 July 2014 - The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) welcomes the end of the strike that has affected the metal and engineering sector in the past four weeks, SEIFSA Chief Executive Officer Kaizer Nyatsumba said.
Speaking after the end of a special meeting of the Federation's Council - which is made up of the chairpersons of Associations affiliated to SEIFSA, Mr Nyatsumba expressed relief that employers and labour finally reached an agreement on outstanding matters, particularly on Section 37 which was the major point of difference in the past few weeks.
"We are immensely relieved that the strike is finally over. It is now incumbent on all stakeholders in the metals and engineering sector to work cooperatively together to grow the sector and to ensure that it is internationally competitive. The sector has a very important role to play in the delivery of the Government's ambitious infrastructure development programme over the next few years, and that can happen only when a strong partnership exists between business and labour," Mr Nyatsumba said.
He explained that although SEIFSA's preferred wording on Section 37 was not accepted by the union, the Federation's Council was satisfied that a compromise wording reached over the weekend would protect companies from two-tier bargaining.
The wording agreed upon reads as follows: "The parties agree that, subject to the full and final settlement clause, Section 37 remains unchanged.