COSATU salutes NUMSA victory

The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes the settlement reached between the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (NUMSA) and congratulates its members in the Engineering and Metals sector for their steadfast commitment to the struggle for a decent wage and other justified demands. 

As NUMSA says: "The latest offer is a product of sweat and bitter struggles by our toiling workers for a living wage. It was a product of a four week long resolute battle to do away with the colonial apartheid wage dispensation in the Engineering/Metals sector. This is a massive victory given the pittance offer at the point of deadlock."

COSATU encourages other workers to follow NUMSA's example, and carry on the fight for similar improvements, the main features of which are:

A 10% wage increase every year for the lowest paid members for the next three years.

A commitment that employees engaged by labour brokers will continue to be entitled to all the terms and conditions of employment as contained in the Main Agreement. In order to enforce this, the Bargaining Council will employ labour broker compliance officers who will act on complaints of abuse and non-compliance from labour brokers.

Furthermore parties have committed to discourage and minimize the use of temporary employment services in the industry.

The administration of disciplinary action will be done by the secondary employer where the worker is employed rather than by the labour broker.

An industry short-time fund which will be used to compensate workers when they are on short time

Time-off for shop stewards to attend to union and industry matters

Opportunities for training for our members

This victory is all the more significant coming at a time when the employers are on the offensive against the unions, collective bargaining and the right to strike. This was typified by the antics of the National Employers' Association of South Africa which said after the deal was signed that they were not happy, the wage increase is excessive and we "will lock out the striking workers from Tuesday".

COSATU will back NUMSA members to the hilt in any action they are forced to take to defeat any such move by irresponsible employers, who want to try to blackmail workers to return to work on worse conditions than those negotiated in the agreement.

Viva NUMSA!

Forward to the National Minimum wage!

Ban labour brokers!

An injury to one is an injury to all!

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, July 29 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter