Union poll unanimously accepts employer’s offer.
ASSEMBLY lines at Eastern Cape automotive manufacturers can roll at full production again now Numsa has ended its month-long engineering sector strike.
Workers are due to return to work today, ending a strike that has cost the economy an estimated R200-million a day.
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim announced yesterday that the union’s members had “unanimously” accepted the latest offer from employer body Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of SA (Seifsa) during consultations that took place across the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Johannesburg yesterday, Jim counted among the union’s biggest victories a fund that would be set up to supplement income for workers on short time and thus short pay.
The union also accepted a 10% wage increase for lowest paid workers and secured a commitment for workers employed through labour brokers to be entitled to the same conditions in the main agreement to curb alleged abuse.
Upper grade workers will get 9%, 8% and 7% increases over the next three years.
“The main features of the settlement package are a 10% wage increase for the lowest paid workers every year for the next three years,” Jim said.
“Workers engaged by labour brokers will continue to be entitled to all terms and conditions of employment contained in the main agreement … We will act on alleged abuse .”
The strike saw 220000 workers in the metals and engineering sector down tools on July 1, and had the automotive industry on a knife edge for almost a month.
One affected factory was East London-based appliance maker Defy, which stopped work.
Yesterday, General Motors South Africa (GMSA), one of the worst affected casualties of the strike, said it could resume production today.
“We are relieved the strike has finally been resolved and we confirm we will resume full production tomorrow,” said GMSA spokeswoman Denise van Huyssteen.
The company halted production as a result of a component shortage just four days after the strike started.
It called on engagement to avoid a similar predicament in the future.
“This strike, as well as the ongoing strike activities in other sectors, has negatively impacted upon the image of South Africa from a business location perspective. We hope that going forward government, business and labour will work together in a more constructive manner to ensure a stable and predictable labour environment,” said van Huyssteen.
A shortage of components also saw East London-based Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) plant produce below capacity with shortened working hours for two shifts.
MBSA chief executive and vice-president manufacturing Arno van der Merwe said: “Mercedes-Benz South Africa welcomes the agreement in South Africa’s engineering and metals sector.
“Although supply lines had become critical in the past weeks due to the strike in this sector, we were able to continue production at the Mercedes-Benz East London plant.
“Production continues to run. Following the agreement and an end to the strike we expect our supply lines to return to normal levels soon.
“We are in close contact with our suppliers.”
East London-based First National Battery, which produces batteries for all seven manufacturers, had also contemplated putting its factory on short-time during the strike.
Yesterday First National Battery managing director Russell Bezuidenhout said: “This is very good news. The economy and the sector can get back on their feet.”
Volkswagen Group of SA spokesman Matt Gennrich said they were “delighted” at the news.
“We urge everybody to go back to work so that the industry can be normalised.” — siyam@dispatch.co.za
Numsa gets back to work
ASSEMBLY lines at Eastern Cape automotive manufacturers can roll at full production again now Numsa has ended its month-long engineering sector strike.
Workers are due to return to work today, ending a strike that has cost the economy an estimated R200-million a day.
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim announced yesterday that the union’s members had “unanimously” accepted the latest offer from employer body Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of SA (Seifsa) during consultations that took place across the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Johannesburg yesterday, Jim counted among the union’s biggest victories a fund that would be set up to supplement income for workers on short time and thus short pay.
The union also accepted a 10% wage increase for lowest paid workers and secured a commitment for workers employed through labour brokers to be entitled to the same conditions in the main agreement to curb alleged abuse.
Upper grade workers will get 9%, 8% and 7% increases over the next three years.
“The main features of the settlement package are a 10% wage increase for the lowest paid workers every year for the next three years,” Jim said.
“Workers engaged by labour brokers will continue to be entitled to all terms and conditions of employment contained in the main agreement … We will act on alleged abuse .”
The strike saw 220000 workers in the metals and engineering sector down tools on July 1, and had the automotive industry on a knife edge for almost a month.
One affected factory was East London-based appliance maker Defy, which stopped work.
Yesterday, General Motors South Africa (GMSA), one of the worst affected casualties of the strike, said it could resume production today.
“We are relieved the strike has finally been resolved and we confirm we will resume full production tomorrow,” said GMSA spokeswoman Denise van Huyssteen.
The company halted production as a result of a component shortage just four days after the strike started.
It called on engagement to avoid a similar predicament in the future.
“This strike, as well as the ongoing strike activities in other sectors, has negatively impacted upon the image of South Africa from a business location perspective. We hope that going forward government, business and labour will work together in a more constructive manner to ensure a stable and predictable labour environment,” said van Huyssteen.
A shortage of components also saw East London-based Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) plant produce below capacity with shortened working hours for two shifts.
MBSA chief executive and vice-president manufacturing Arno van der Merwe said: “Mercedes-Benz South Africa welcomes the agreement in South Africa’s engineering and metals sector.
“Although supply lines had become critical in the past weeks due to the strike in this sector, we were able to continue production at the Mercedes-Benz East London plant.
“Production continues to run. Following the agreement and an end to the strike we expect our supply lines to return to normal levels soon.
“We are in close contact with our suppliers.”
East London-based First National Battery, which produces batteries for all seven manufacturers, had also contemplated putting its factory on short-time during the strike.
Yesterday First National Battery managing director Russell Bezuidenhout said: “This is very good news. The economy and the sector can get back on their feet.”
Volkswagen Group of SA spokesman Matt Gennrich said they were “delighted” at the news.
“We urge everybody to go back to work so that the industry can be normalised.” — siyam@dispatch.co.za
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