How the Numsa strike has split business
WAGE talks between employers and unions in the metals and engineering sector are scheduled to continue until tomorrow in a bid to end the three-week strike.
The strike, accompanied by violence, intimidation and destruction of property, has halted some automotive production lines at Toyota, BMW and General Motors, and led to shortages of plumbing materials and aluminium products at building sites.
But the car makers said their sales and exports were not likely to be hit in the short term.
Eskom, which has been battling to keep the lights on due to a supply shortage, said about 70% of workers reported for duty at Kusile and Medupi, and most of the construction work continued as planned.
On Friday, the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation (Seifsa), the biggest parties in the metals dispute, seemed close to a 10% pay settlement.
This was despite threats by the National Employers’ Association of South Africa, which represents smaller firms, to go to court should a wage deal be extended to other parties in the bargaining council.
Numsa and the employers also remained at loggerheads over what issues parties may bring up for discussion at plant level.
The sector’s bargaining council deal states that no issues with financial implications may be negotiated at plant level.
But Numsa won a recent court case allowing it to negotiate housing allowances at plant level. This forced the parties to revisit the bargaining council rules, which Numsa wants changed.