South Africa’s Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council [MEIBC], is apportioning blame on all sides for the leaking of pay settlement details to end the country’s crippling month-long strike.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), condemned the “hasty decision taken by SEIFSA [Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa], to publicly communicate the offer…without affording the union an opportunity and a right to report back to members.”
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However, the MEIBC, responsible for bringing all parties in the bitter dispute round the negotiating table, insists all sides are at fault for how the improved offer of a three-year pay deal of 10% until 2016, was divulged.
“The employers decided to improve the offer for year two and year three – which was the issue still outstanding in the last meeting,” MEIBC general secretary, Thulani Mthiyane, told just-auto from Johannesburg.
“In the process, the document was leaked and I would not necessarily blame the employers, but I would blame all the parties for leaking the document before it was discussed with their members.
“It is better parties take the initiative of communicating…what has been the outcome of those discussions. If you don’t [do] that, you open the opportunity for people who want to leak information.”
The MEIBC general secretary said SEIFSA had made it clear if no deal could be brokered by this Friday (25 July), the situation would revert back to a previous offer of 10%, 9.5% and 9% for the next three years.
Of contention also is the employer’s wish to agree any agreement at a national level and not deal separately at the factories – the Section 37 or so-called ‘peace clause’ – aiming to secure industrial harmony for at least three years.
The NEC is currently in Johannesburg to mull the latest offer and will convene a series of general meetings in the next two days to present it.
“The strike continues and has not been suspended,” said a NUMSA statement.
“Our members at the coal face of the strike will make the final decision on whether to end the strike or not.”
