Seifsa's take on the 2014 Metal Industry negotiations

METAL INDUSTRY
 
INDUSTRY ALERT!

 
Dear Metal Industry Employer   

Today I am doing a …. STRANGE THING
 
Today I give Seifsa some airtime; I therefore include the CEO of Seifsa's take on the 2014 Metal Industry negotiations for your attention. Click here to read the article.

I will ask for your comments at the end of this newsletter.
 
The CEO of Seifsa takes pride in what they have done for their members in these negotiations. However, read his article, compare it with the list of demands with which they approached the 2014 negotiations (click here), and then decide for yourself if they have achieved anything to be proud of; and then keep in mind that it is this agreement which Seifsa, with the help of their alliance-partner, now wish to extend to the rest of the Metal Industry.
 
What Seifsa got for their members is yet another 10 percent wage increase over three years and a lame 'peace clause' that will prejudice these members more than benefit them. They now want the rest of the Metal Industry to pay for their failures.
 
The CEO of Seifsa fails to inform you about the fact:- 

• that they dropped all of their demands during these negotiations;

• that the new minimum wage in this Industry (without benefits) for Seifsa members is now R33.67 per hour on the lowest grade, whilst the minimum wage for South Africa's second most expensive Industry (the Motor Ferry Industry) is now R23.71 per hour on the lowest grade;

• that the Metal Industry has lost 700 000 jobs in the last three decades and 250 000 jobs over the last 5 years alone;

• that the 2014-purported Seifsa-trade union agreement was only signed by Seifsa (a non-party) and that the following organisations did not sign it;-

  • NEASA (representing over 3000 primarily SMME's employing approximately 80 000 employees in this Industry),

  • PCASA (representing 400 employers employing over 30 000 employees),

  • Cape Engineers and Founders' Association (a Seifsa affiliated organisation representing approximately 140 employers employing approximately 9800 employees),

  • Ceaser (with approximately 470 employers in the Metal Industry employing approximately 17 000 employees);

  • the Federated Employers' Organisation of South Africa (with 37 employer members employing 4000 employees); 

  • the South African United Employers' Organisation and the Border Industries Employers' Organisation (membership figures not known to us).

Perhaps he should also have mentioned that employment levels in manufacturing is now where it was in 1972, whilst South Africa's population over this period has increased from 22 to 51 million. In this regard this Industry has completely failed South Africa. 

In creating turmoil in this Industry, there is one common denominator: the inappropriate Seifsa/Numsa 'alliance' which dominated this Industry for decades, with NUMSA the overwhelmingly dominant partner.

Employers in the Industry, BUT SPECIFICALLY SEIFSA-AFFILIATED SMME's who, for whatever reason, be it historical or for other reasons, remains affiliated to SEIFSA, have to ask themselves the following:-

• are you confident to leave the future of this Industry in Seifsa's hands?;

• can you trust them with a much-needed turn-around strategy for this Industry?;

• what makes you think they will act differently in future?; and 

• if you cannot trust them, why do you continue supporting them, especially since your support is utilised to enforce their will on the rest of this Industry?

NEASA IS 'DESPERATE' (to quote Seifsa)
 
NEASA addresses these issues because we are indeed 'desperate':- 

• WE ARE DESPERATE FOR THE STRUGGLE OF SMME's AND THE FUTURE OF THIS INDUSTRY; 

• WE DEMAND BACK THE VOICE of SMME's!!;

• WE WANT TO NEGOTIATE AND DETERMINE OUR OWN FUTURE IN THIS INDUSTRY; and 

• WE WILL RESIST ALL ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE Seifsa/Numsa AGREEMENT TO THE OTHER 85 PERCENT OF EMPLOYERS (SMME's) IN THE INDUSTRY. 

 
NEVER AGAIN ….
 
… will we allow SEIFSA to negotiate on behalf of SMME's in the Metal and Engineering Industry and will appropriately oppose the Seifsa/Numsa/MEIBC/Department of Labour inappropriate attempt to extend a completely undemocratic arrangement to the majority of employers in the Industry.

WE NEED EACH AND EVERY EMPLOYERS' SUPPORT IN THIS INDUSTRY!
 
Although in the last four years, in this Industry alone, more employers (2000) joined NEASA than the total size of Seifsa, that is not enough though; this fight for the survival of the Industry, for SMME autonomy, requires everybody's help. Nobody can afford to sit on the sideline.

Best Regards

Gerhard Papenfus