Numsa to take new wage offer to workers

Johannesburg - The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Tuesday that it will be meeting with its members to discuss the government brokered wage deal to end weeks of violent strike action.

Numsa said it was holding a special national executive committee meeting in Johannesburg where it would consider the latest wage offer proposed by the labour department.

"[We] will solicit a fresh mandate from members," the union said in a statement.

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of SA (Seifsa) said earlier on Tuesday that it "reluctantly" accepted the proposal that includes wage increases of 10% to low-level employees over the next three years.

However, its acceptance was conditional and it also issued a warning over heavy job losses.

"A slim majority of employer associations... [agreed] on condition that the offer is accepted by the unions not later than Friday," " it said in a statement.

Seifsa chief executive Kaizer Nyatsumba added that the deal would "inevitably lead to massive job losses" as companies sought to cut costs because they would not be able to pass on the increases to their customers, reported Reuters.

The new proposal included a three-year agreement with increases of between 8% and 10%, depending on whether the workers were higher or lower earners.

The labour department and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) facilitated talks between Seifsa and unions, after negotiations between Numsa and the employer body deadlocked.

Over 200 000 Numsa members in the metal and engineering sector downed tools on July 1, demanding a salary increase of 12%, dropped from their pre-strike demand of 15%. They also demanded a R1 000 housing allowance, and a total ban on labour brokers.

The union announced on July 13 that it had lowered its wage demand to 10%.

Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of the Solidarity union, told Reuters that NUMSA and four other smaller unions which have joined the strike had agreed to consider the latest offer with their members and leadership committees.