Press Release - 2014/07/13:SEIFSA DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED AT NUMSA'S REJECTION OF ITS VERY GOOD FINAL OFFER
Mr Nyatsumba said that it was deeply regrettable that the union had rejected a "very good final offer" that was intended to end the strike, and which was made following a meeting with the leadership of NUMSA, which had indicated that it believed the offer could end the strike.
"We have now done everything that we could possibly have done to end the strike and we deeply regret the fact that all our efforts have been in vain. It is very unfortunate that a strike which has already caused much damage to our economy appears set to continue indefinitely," Mr Nyatsumba said.
He said that NUMSA had scheduled a meeting with the SEIFSA leadership for tomorrow morning, where it would officially communicate its response to the Federation's offer. Mr Nyatsumba said that it was unfortunate that SEIFSA first heard about NUMSA's response to its final offer through the media.
Mr Nyatsumba thanked the SEIFSA Council for the clear mandate that it had given him and the SEIFSA negotiating team, but expressed regret that the final offer approved by the vast majority of employer Associations affiliated to SEIFSA had been rejected by NUMSA.
Mr Nyatsumba also expressed SEIFSA's thanks and appreciation to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant and her team for their efforts in brokering a settlement between the Federation and NUMSA.
He said that the SEIFSA leadership had made the best possible offer that it could have made to end the strike and had now exhausted its mandate.
Press Release - 2014/07/11:SEIFSA CONDEMNS NEASA’S PROPAGANDA OF DESPERATION, AWAITS OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM NUMSA
SEIFSA Chief Executive Officer Kaizer Nyatsumba dismissed “with the contempt that it deserves” NEASA Chief Executive Officer Gerhard Papenfus’s wild allegation, in a press statement today, that the Federation had betrayed the interests of small business.
“For quite some time now, Papenfus has been making all sorts of allegations against a number of stakeholders, among them us. He appears to be absolutely desperate to attract attention to himself and his organisation, including through making wild and unsubstantiated claims against others,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
He said that over the past few weeks NEASA had alleged repeatedly that the wage offers made by SEIFSA to unions within the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC), in an effort to avoid a protracted strike, represented the interests of big business.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Although some of the largest companies in our sector are also members of Associations affiliated to SEIFSA, by far the majority of our members are small companies employing fewer than 50 people. That constituency makes 63 percent of the companies within the SEIFSA fold and informs everything that SEIFSA does,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
Mr Nyatsumba said that SEIFSA – which was among the founders of the MEIBC 70 years ago – was deeply committed to the collective bargaining process, hence its insistence that it would not sign any resulting agreement unless it was satisfied that matters discussed during the negotiations would not be taken up with member companies at company level in an attempt to double dip. Mr Nyatsumba said SEIFSA stood firm by its demand that an agreement needed to be reached on Section 37 of the Main Agreement.
“What South Africa needs are mature employers’ organisations and unions that put the country’s interests first, and not ones given to puerile tantrums and that seek to behave as if we were still in our despicable, bygone era. Just as making political demands and embarking on strike at the drop of a hat is unacceptable, so, too, is a bull-in-a-china-shop approach that opposes everything for the sake of opposing,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
He said that SEIFSA was very concerned about the damage caused to the economy by the current strike, and the organisation had done everything possible to avoid a strike. Once the strike had started, SEIFSA had again worked very hard to get it ended as soon as possible.
“We are very disappointed that, despite having made our very best offer on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to end the strike, NUMSA has not yet got back to us with a response. We made it plain to the union that Tuesday’s was the very last offer to be made by SEIFSA, and that it would be removed from the table if it were not accepted,” he said.
Mr Nyatsumba said that, out of concern about the strike’s effect on the economy, the majority of the Federation’s members had approved a final offer of 10% in 2014, 9,5% in 2015 and 9% in 2016 respectively for Rate H workers and an offer of 8% in 2014, 7,5% in 2015 and 7% respectively for Rate A. He said that SEIFSA members had done so in the hope that workers on strike would be back at work next week.
Mr Nyatsumba said that although he had seen reports in the media quoting anonymous sources as saying that NUMSA had rejected SEIFSA’s final offer, he had not received any official response from the metalworkers union.
Press Release - 2014/07/11:SEIFSA CONDEMNS NEASA’S PROPAGANDA OF DESPERATION, AWAITS OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM NUMSA
SEIFSA Chief Executive Officer Kaizer Nyatsumba dismissed “with the contempt that it deserves” NEASA Chief Executive Officer Gerhard Papenfus’s wild allegation, in a press statement today, that the Federation had betrayed the interests of small business.
“For quite some time now, Papenfus has been making all sorts of allegations against a number of stakeholders, among them us. He appears to be absolutely desperate to attract attention to himself and his organisation, including through making wild and unsubstantiated claims against others,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
He said that over the past few weeks NEASA had alleged repeatedly that the wage offers made by SEIFSA to unions within the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC), in an effort to avoid a protracted strike, represented the interests of big business.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Although some of the largest companies in our sector are also members of Associations affiliated to SEIFSA, by far the majority of our members are small companies employing fewer than 50 people. That constituency makes 63 percent of the companies within the SEIFSA fold and informs everything that SEIFSA does,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
Mr Nyatsumba said that SEIFSA – which was among the founders of the MEIBC 70 years ago – was deeply committed to the collective bargaining process, hence its insistence that it would not sign any resulting agreement unless it was satisfied that matters discussed during the negotiations would not be taken up with member companies at company level in an attempt to double dip. Mr Nyatsumba said SEIFSA stood firm by its demand that an agreement needed to be reached on Section 37 of the Main Agreement.
“What South Africa needs are mature employers’ organisations and unions that put the country’s interests first, and not ones given to puerile tantrums and that seek to behave as if we were still in our despicable, bygone era. Just as making political demands and embarking on strike at the drop of a hat is unacceptable, so, too, is a bull-in-a-china-shop approach that opposes everything for the sake of opposing,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
He said that SEIFSA was very concerned about the damage caused to the economy by the current strike, and the organisation had done everything possible to avoid a strike. Once the strike had started, SEIFSA had again worked very hard to get it ended as soon as possible.
“We are very disappointed that, despite having made our very best offer on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to end the strike, NUMSA has not yet got back to us with a response. We made it plain to the union that Tuesday’s was the very last offer to be made by SEIFSA, and that it would be removed from the table if it were not accepted,” he said.
Mr Nyatsumba said that, out of concern about the strike’s effect on the economy, the majority of the Federation’s members had approved a final offer of 10% in 2014, 9,5% in 2015 and 9% in 2016 respectively for Rate H workers and an offer of 8% in 2014, 7,5% in 2015 and 7% respectively for Rate A. He said that SEIFSA members had done so in the hope that workers on strike would be back at work next week.
Mr Nyatsumba said that although he had seen reports in the media quoting anonymous sources as saying that NUMSA had rejected SEIFSA’s final offer, he had not received any official response from the metalworkers union.
UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE WAGE NEGOTIATIONS
SEIFSA is awaiting a formal response to the settlement offer presented to NUMSA on 8 July 2014.
Despite numerous differing news reports on the subject, SEIFSA has not yet received any formal response, but will communicate with members as soon as there are any developments.
UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE WAGE NEGOTIATIONS
SEIFSA is awaiting a formal response to the settlement offer presented to NUMSA on 8 July 2014.
Despite numerous differing news reports on the subject, SEIFSA has not yet received any formal response, but will communicate with members as soon as there are any developments.
Press Release - 2014/07/10: STRIKE LIKELY TO WORSEN PERFOMANCE OF THE AILING METALS AND ENGINEERING SECTOR
Data for May show a complete collapse of -7% in production, and is mainly to blame for the 12-month growth performance dropping to 2%, down from 3,5% at the end of April.
SEIFSA Chief Economist Henk Langenhoven warned that “the worst is yet to come”.
He said that the latest piece of bad news comes on the heels of the June Kagiso Puchasing Managers’ Index business activity index released earlier, which indicated a further strong deterioration in business confidence since the beginning of the year. That, he said, was a trend which started in the third quarter of 2013.
Mr Langenhoven said that while production levels had held up until April, mainly due to pre-emptive stock building in anticipation of the current metals and engineering strike and a possible earlier resolution of the platinum mining strike, these drivers had since waned.
“The sector strike has materialised, the mining recovery will be slow due to the strike’s duration and construction shows no signs of revival,” said Mr Langenhoven.
He said that the collapse in production was severe, with May levels 4% lower than April, and May 2014 nearly 7% lower than the same month last year.
Mr Langenhoven said that:
- only basic iron and steel, other fabricated metal products and household appliances showed growth between January and May, with all other sub- industries contracting when compared to the same period last year;
- on a twelve-month basis the overall production recorded 2% growth mainly due to the heavily-weighted basic iron and steel, together with non-ferrous, other fabricated metals and household appliances.
Mr Langenhoven said that there was “a real danger” that the metals and engineering strike now in its second week could “break the camel’s back”. The strike comes on top of negative sector profit margins over the last three years, with low capacity utilisation, as well as an increased influx of imported goods replacing South African products.
“South Africa cannot afford the current vicious declining spiral impacting the auto, mining and construction sectors and the overall economy,” Mr Langenhoven said.
2014 STRIKE ACTION INCIDENTS VIDEOS
| Video Footage at Steelmor Industries in Benoni on 03 July 2014 | ||
| Strikers intimidating SAPS at the premises of Dormac in Durban | ||
| Engineering firm in Daleside Randvaal |
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| NUMSA Strike Footage -Viking Foundry | ||