Welcome to SEIFSA

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA) is a national employer federation representing the metal and engineering industry. For 69 years, SEIFSA has provided active support for its members and lobbied for policies that have improved the business environment in which its members operate. 

Read more about SEIFSA here..

What's happening at SEIFSA

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POSTPONEMENT OF COSATU SECTION 77 PROTEST ACTION OF 30 APRIL AGAINST E-TOLLING
Posted on 25 April 2012

Members should be aware that at a special meeting of the COSATU Central Executive Committee on 23 to 25 April 2012 to discuss the way forward in their ongoing campaign against e-tolling, labour brokers and labour law amendments, COSATU stated that whilst the rolling mass action campaigns would continue as planned, the COSATU general strike (in terms of section 77 of the Labour Relations Act) planned for Monday, 30 April 2012 would be postponed until the second week of May.

This notwithstanding, management should regard any worker absences on Monday, 30 April related directly to the COSATU e-tolling, labour broking and labour law amendment campaign in accordance with principles outlined in the SEIFSA Management Brief posted on the website on 23 April 2012.

COSATU SECTION 77 PROTEST ACTION ON 30 APRIL AGAINST E-TOLLING
Posted on 24 April 2012

Management will be aware that Cosatu announced, during the course of last month, that it intended to embark on a programme of rolling socio-economic protest action (in terms of section 77 of the Labour Relations Act) against government’s intention to introduce Open Road Tolling.

In view of the fact that Cosatu wants the system to be abandoned completely, the Nedlac Section 77 Standing Committee confirmed that there is a deadlock between the social partners on the question of e-tolling and that the requirements of Section 77 of the LRA had been met for the protected socio-economic protest action planned for 7 March 2012.

Cosatu at a press conference on 17 April announced that it had filed a section 77 notice on 16 April 2012 which would enable workers to engage in a series of protest actions, including a national stay-away on Monday 30 April 2012.

Read more here..

Participation needed - Community of Expert Practice (CEP) meetings for 2012
Posted on 16 April 2012

SEIFSA members are invited to participate in the important work of the following confirmed CEP meetings scheduled for 2012:

Development Quality Partner (DQP)	Occupation	Date
Merseta	Lift Mechanic	15 - 16 May 2012

The purpose of these scoping meetings is to secure industry input on the respective occupations to enable the relevant DQP to develop occupational curricula and qualifications for the future.

Please contact Thandiwe Shashu, who is the Merseta SGB Coordinator, for further information – tshashu@merseta.org.za

PRESIDENT ZUMA'S ALLOCATION OF R2.5 BILLION TO FETs
Posted on 5 April 2012

SEIFSA welcomes the announcement by President Jacob Zuma that R2.5 billion is to be allocated towards the refurbishment and construction of further education and training college campuses (FETs) over the next three years.

The colleges have a key role to play in building a larger and more vibrant sector as a central component of South Africa’s skills development system by providing general vocational training as well as the theoretical component of apprentice training to young people.   It is widely recognised that the colleges (previously called technical colleges) are weak institutions facing myriad problems of leadership, management, funding and support when compared with institutions in the better resourced higher education sector.

Read more here..

SEIFSA COMMENT ON PROPOSED LABOUR LAW AMENDMENTS
Posted on 23 March 2012

The Steel and Engineering Industries’ Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA) acknowledges yesterday’s announcement that Cabinet has decided not to ban labour broking in South Africa.

However, SEIFSA remains seriously concerned that many of the amendments contained in the Basic Conditions of Employment and Labour Relations Amendment Bills, including those further regulating labour broking, are punitive and place unnecessary additional restrictions on legitimate business operations, will raise the cost of doing business in South Africa and will result in further job losses in the country.

Read more here..

AMENDMENT OF THE RULES OF THE SICK PAY FUND AGREEMENT
Posted on 14 March 2012

The amendments to the rules of the Sick Pay Fund Agreement was signed by the Minister of Labour and published on 2 March 2012 and has become legally binding on all employers and scheduled employees in the industry with effect from Monday, 12 March 2012.

In terms of the rules amendment:

• The Sick Pay Fund will be amended to extend the existing one day’s medical tests for cervical cancer (pap smears) to include prostate cancer tests.
• The compassionate leave benefit of the Sick Pay Fund Agreement now permits an accumulation of the existing three days’ per annum compassionate leave over a three year cycle.

In terms of this amendment, employee’s unused entitlement to leave in terms of the Sick Pay Fund Agreement, accrues to a maximum of nine days paid leave over a three-year period of employment.

This accrued leave may only be used in the event of the death of any of the persons detailed in the definition of compassionate leave in clause 42 of the MEIBC Main Agreement.

Click on file link below to view the Collective Sick Pay Fund agreement..

RESULTS OF HOW THE 7 MARCH COSATU MASS ACTION AFFECTED SEIFSA MEMBERS
Posted on 9 March 2012

Thank you for responding to the SEIFSA ‘snap survey’ done on 7 March 2012. 

As you can see 39% of companies that responded had 100% attendance, 38% had less than 50%  attendance and only 22%  had no attendance at all.

South Africa Customs Union (SACU)-India trade agreement
Posted on 09 March 2012

Analysis of SACU-India PTA Request Lists

Introduction to the SACU (South Africa Customs Union)-India PTA (ongoing negotiations)

What it entails

At its meeting in May 2006 in Pretoria, the SACU Council of Ministers mandated the Commission to engage with the Indian Government on the scope and parameters of a possible trade agreement, after which a negotiations framework was developed.

The SACU/India Negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) started after signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September 2008.

SACU submitted the Offer List in November 2009 to the High Commission, and India has in turn submitted its list, for negotiations to continue.

Read more here..

WORKER STAYAWAY ON WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH
Posted on 5 March 2012

The Steel and Engineering Industries’ Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA) notes with considerable concern and disappointment, the decision by Cosatu and its affiliates to go ahead with the planned national worker stayaway on Wednesday, 7 March in support of their demands for the banning of labour brokers and the abandonment of the e-tolling system.

This action, aimed directly at exerting pressure on the government, comes at a considerable cost to the industry’s workers and their employers. The anticipated loss of a day’s production and wages is regretted by SEIFSA – particularly, as it comes at a time where the majority of firms engaged in the metal and engineering industry are struggling to remain viable, and where the retention of current employment levels is under significant pressure.

Read more here..