Employers in the important economic sector, which has struggled amid an economic downturn exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have baulked at Numsa’s demands for an 8% rise in the first year and inflation plus 2% for the following two years.
Industry body, Seifsa, which is offering a 4.4% hike for 2021, inflation plus 0.5% in 2022 and inflation plus 1% in the third year confirmed the deadlock and strike call with Reuters.
“We will launch the strike with a national march,” the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said in a statement.
Numsa is the largest trade union in the engineering sector and has hit a deadlock with the four big employer associations in the Engineering Bargaining Council, which represents around 430,000 workers in 90,000 companies around South Africa.
The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of SA (Seifsa) said strike action would have significant impact on the struggling economy and companies.
“We have experienced unprecedented job losses and companies are really struggling to keep their doors open,” said Lucio Trentini, chief executive of Seifsa. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; editing by Jason Neely)
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Unions just do not get it – they are such a big part of the problem for the poor. Low wages rather than no wages is the only way we can employ millions. Such short sightedness not only destroys jobs but makes the chances of any further investment next to zero.
Who in their right minds would want to deal with this mentality and the legislation that enables it?
This Trade Union belongs to the 70s UK scene – absolute idiologues with only one thing in mind – rip off the “rich” & we will all be rich. Well, the TU leaders will get rich first (from subs etc etc) & then the rest of ya one day someday never!! Idiocy from beginning to end.