The talks, which began on Tuesday, failed last night, when Numsa rejected a new offer made by employers represented by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa).
The meeting took place hours after the Seifsa Council – made up of chairpersons of employer associations affiliated to the federation – had approved a 10 per cent wage increase for H-level employees in 2014, followed by nine and eight per cent increases in 2015 and 2016 respectively, as well as an eight per cent increase for A-level employees in 2014 and seven per cent increases in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
The 10 per cent adjustment for low-level employees at Rate H represented a 25 per cent move for Seifsa from its previous offer of eight per cent, while the move from the previous seven per cent to eight per cent for higher-level artisans represents a 14 per cent adjustment.
Seifsa chief executive officer Kaizer Nyatsumba said that the federation had approached last night’s meeting full of optimism that the new offer would lead to the conclusion of a deal which would see employees returning to work next week.
He said the failure to reach an agreement was deeply disappointing.
Nyatsumba said that the new offer was the very best that SEIFSA could make under these difficult economic circumstances, and it was sweetened by the fact that the federation’s members had agreed to take their demand for a 50 per cent reduction of entry-level wages off the table.
“We are very deeply disappointed by this turn of events. After a long and heated discussion, the Seifsa Council had finally come up with a very good offer that we were very confident would be acceptable to Numsa.
“Regrettably, however, it would appear that we continue to be miles apart from the union as a result of, among other things, patently political demands about which we can do nothing,” Nyatsumba said.
He added that there was no way that employers in the metal and engineering sector, which was known for its peaks and lows, would accede to Numsa’s demand to desist from ever using the services of labour brokers.
Nyatsumba added that many employers represented by the federation had reported serious incidents of violence, with some striking workers having broken down factory gates and assaulted people.
He called on the police to maintain peace and to apprehend those behind the violence.
The strike left a train of destruction in Benoni. Click here to read all about it.
Numsa issued a press release yesterday “rejecting claims of violence”.
“We do not take these unsubstantiated accusations lightly.
“They are just part of a cheap ploy by the employers to undermine the integrity of our struggle for a Living Wage and improved conditions of employment,” said Numsa national spokesman Castro Ngobese.
Ngobese continued: “No amount of false propaganda and slanderous accusations by the employers will undermine our strike.
“Our members remain firm and resolute on their demands for a Living Wage, as opposed to the colonial apartheid poverty wages that employers want to retain and reproduce in the industry.
“We reject with contempt the proposed militarization of industrial action by SEIFSA calling on the police to act on our striking members.”
Ngobese was not immidiately available to comment on the latest wage offer.
