Numsa intent on reaching agreement with motor industry

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is set to meet with motor employers on Tuesday and Wednesday with the hopes of unlocking the wage negotiation deadlock since declaring a dispute on 30 June. Picketing rules are also on the agenda.

The union says it will meet with the Retail Motor Industries (RMI) and the Fuel Retail Association (FRA) under the authority of the Motor Industries Bargaining Council (MIBCO) and the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).

“It is in our interests as Numsa to try and find one another and to prevent a strike. The sector employs approximately 306 000 workers nationally and a strike would have a negative impact on the economy, and on our members because a ‘no work no pay’ policy is likely to be imposed.”

Numsa says its demands speak directly to dire socioeconomic conditions experienced by the working class and its members, and that employers from the motor industry have not yet proposed a meaningful offer.

“Our members are struggling especially because they do not have [a] transport allowance, and they spend almost their entire salary on public transportation in order to get to work,” it adds.

The union’s demands include:

• A 12% across the board increase
• An overtime rate in line with the BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act) for Chapter Three workers
• Alignment of wage negotiations calendar for Chapter Two and Three and the auto sector
• Scrapping of discrimination clauses against Numsa members and of the Sick and Accident Fund
• Night shift and transport allowance for garage workers
• A peace clause allowing for the union to raise issues in the workplace that are not covered by the MIBCO collective agreement
• Social benefits including medical aid for garage workers.

In a statement issued on 4 August, Numsa said it declared a deadlock because the FRA made an offer that it could not accept and that the employers wasted time that was allocated to them for the first resolution meeting.

It says the FRA offered a 4% across the board increase for all forecourt workers and 3% for chars and cashiers for a three-year agreement.

“What is even worse, is that this proposal by the FRA is on condition that Numsa drop all the other demands. The RMI was expected to make an offer, but [it has] not yet done so,” it added.

The union says it hopes employers will bring an improved offer to the table.

Nondumiso Lehutso is a Moneyweb intern.