NUMSA rejects the latest proposal by Employers in the Engineering sector
09 June, 2017
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) met with Employers in the Engineering sector for a second day of talks on Thursday. We expected Employers to engage constructively with our members’ demands, which are:
- We demand a 15% wage increase across the board based on the actual rate that a worker is earning, and not on the minimum rate.
- We demand a two year agreement.
- We demand the finalization of other outstanding issues during that period.
- We demand the extension of the agreement to non-parties; this includes non-parties and Employer associations like NEASA and PCASA who fall under the MEIBC.
This is the response from the Employers:
- They want a three year wage agreement.
- They are offering of 5.3% across the board, for the first year of the agreement, based on the minimum rate, and not the actual rate that workers are earning.
- If the CPI for the 2nd and 3rd year of the agreement is below 4%, then they are offering an increase of 4%.
- If CPI for the 2nd and 3rd year of the agreement is above 8%, then they are offering an increase of 8%.
- Employers also want new entrants to the sector not to earn the full rate, but should instead, earn 50% or half of the minimum rate.
- Employers want those companies which have been violating the law and have been paying workers less than the minimum of R40 per hour, to increase wages in line with the new national minimum wage proposal of R20.37 per hour, whilst other workers in the sector are earning a minimum of R40 per hour for grade H.
NUMSA is shocked by the offer which Employers have placed on the table. The proposal can only be described as adown variation of the basic working conditions of workers and an erosion of all the gains we have made in the last 23 years.
Furthermore, we are horrified that Employers want trade unions to help them to violating the basic principles of equal pay for work of equal value by offering new entrants to the sector only half of what they deserve.
To add insult to injury, employers have the nerve to demand that Workers give them amnesty for breaking the law and paying workers less than what they are legally obliged to pay! They are insulting us by demanding that we endorse their criminal behavior by agreeing to such an outrageous proposal.
NUMSA rejects this offer with the contempt it deserves!
We demand that Employers go back to the drawing board and come up with a better proposal which demonstrates that they’re commitment to growing the economy of this country. We demand that they draft a proposal which demonstrates that they view our members and their families as human beings who deserve to work to improve their own lives.
Their proposal proves what we have always said about the racist exploitative nature of the employers in the Engineering sector. They are fighting for a backward labour regime which is no different to the kind which was in place under Apartheid, demonstrating that they do not recognize the humanity of our members and their families.
Based on this proposal, we are convinced that employers are indeed provoking a deadlock in order to justify a strike. Employers clearly do not want industrial peace in the Engineering sector, they want it to be unstable.
NUMSA will be meeting with the Employers again on the 15th of June. We demand that they take this time to think very carefully about the implications of their actions. We demand that when we return to the negotiating table next week that they present us with a proposal which our members can actually engage with. NUMSA will never agree to any proposal which is a blatant exploitation of Workers rights.
Statement issued by Phakamile Hlubi, Acting National NUMSA spokesperson, 9 June 2017
