Numsa warns of ‘mother of all strikes’ as engineering wage talks resume
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has warned members in the engineering sector to prepare for strike action following a deadlock in wage negotiations.
The union will down tools if no headway is made during the next round of negotiations.
The Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC), representing employers, tabled a 4.4% salary increase for 2021. Numsa rejected the offer and presented an 8% increase across the board.
The union says the above-inflation demand was made on the basis that workers in the industry have not had a salary increase since 2014 and in 2020 the union accepted a wage increase freeze due to the pandemic.
"We have our backs against the wall, there is no way that Numsa can even think to consider what's on the table. In essence, what the employers are trying to do in a very sneaky way, is to continue to offer a 0% increase, they just want a standstill agreement and we reject that," said secretary-general Irvin Jim.
"We are saying that we are flexible in the following year and in our view they should grab that and there would be no need for us to enter into a strike. Because we are saying they should offer CPI plus 2% improvement factor and if they fall below 6% then they should offer us 6% and if they feel that CPI is too harsh for them then they can reopen negotiations.”
Jim said for the first year, the employer must make an offer that will ensure that the unions have a base for workers as the economy recovers.
Negotiations will resume on Tuesday.
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