South African union and communities march against privatization of Eskom

According to government announcements there are plans to split Eskom into generation, transmission, and distribution units to improve the availability of electricity and end frequent power cuts caused by increasing demand and ageing infrastructure among other factors.

During the march, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, presented a list of demands to the Eskom management. These included stopping the unbundling, dissolving the Eskom board and the immediate resignation of the management. The union also wants conditions of service for workers to be reinstated and for a 15 per cent wage increase to be given. Additionally, it demands that the “premature” closing of coal power stations be halted.

Further, the NUM wants the renewable energy power purchase agreements to be reviewed to include Eskom as one the power producers. Currently, renewable power production is done by independent power producers. The union says it supports an energy mix policy that protects jobs, ends poverty, and stops the “looting” of state resources through corruption. The NUM is also urging Eskom to negotiate affordable payment terms with communities in Soweto, Johannesburg, whose power supplies were disconnected.

William Mabapa, NUM acting general secretary says the union is against plans to transform the power utility into a profit-making entity.

“The NUM is against the privatization of state-owned enterprises. Our government must put the interests of the people first before those of private businesses. Eskom is a vital and strategic public utility for the South African economy’s development needs and electricity must be considered a public good.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“Job security and preservation of benefits are crucial issues for our affiliates – the NUM and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa – that organize at Eskom. Additionally, the unions are demanding that community and social interests should be protected in the Just Transition to renewable energy sources. To protect these interests, we call upon the Eskom management to consult with unions and affected communities before any changes are implemented.”

An agreement signed at COP26 will see rich countries funding the decarbonization of Eskom. However, unions are concerned that this will be used as a pretext for privatization, and demand that the parties stick to the Just Transition Declaration.

PROFILE: Divided we beg, united we bargain, says Eswatini union

UNION PROFILE

From Global Worker No. 2 November 2021

Country: eSwatini

Union: Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) 

Text: Elijah Chiwota

Formed in 2013 from a merger of three unions including the Swaziland Processing and Allied Workers Union (SPRAWU) and MQAWUS, ATUSWA has 4,000 members, 65 per cent of whom are women. 

After a turbulent foundation, ATUSWA, is beating the odds, and continuing to grow its membership by organizing more workers in the textile and garment, and other manufacturing sectors. 

A typical ATUSWA recruitment and organizing drive involves going to factory premises, waiting for the lunch break, and then persuading workers to join the union. Although this strategy is limited in a Covid-19 lockdown situation, the union is adapting and using other methods that include mobile apps and social media. For instance, the union has developed an app that links workers to union documents and core labour laws. Further, the union successfully campaigned for the payment of benefits to workers who were retrenched because of the pandemic. This resulted in over 20,000 workers benefiting from the Eswatini National Provident Fund.

The union says it visits workplaces regularly to investigate and confront employers when workers report violations. Xolile Dlamini from Swazi Africa Textile who has been an ATUSWA member for five years explains why joining the union is one of the best decisions she has made:

“Non-unionized workers are ill-treated and insulted. The employers put us under a lot of pressure to meet targets that sometimes you feel like crying. And the union is the organization to go to when you feel abused. Every so often the employers tell you that you will do whatever they ask you to do. But once we become union members, we are able to tell them to stop the verbal abuse and to respect our rights.”

As a tactic to attract and retain members, the union is campaigning for permanent jobs, and against the employment of workers through labour brokers. Additionally, the union want minimum wages of at least E3500 (US$229), rental housing policies that protect workers, and unemployment benefit funds against Covid-19 job losses. 

“The workers of Eswatini must unite and fight for a living wage and decent working conditions. As we campaign for living wages, we are demanding wage increases that cover the increasing cost of living and price hikes,”

said ATUSWA secretary general Wander Mkhonza.

Retaining members is not always easy as some workers join the union and leave after a few months. To deal with this the union is considering increasing its benefits to members and negotiating agency shop agreements that benefit all workers. This can attract those workers who are reluctant to join the union.

Although there is potential for the union to increase the membership often it faces resistance from some employers. For example, after organizing 1200 workers at Juris Manufactures, the company only submitted dues for 482 members. The employers behave this way even when the union has signed recognition agreements. 

ATUSWA also supports labour law reforms that will protect unions from union busting and bashing by employers. According to the union, Taiwanese-owned FTM Garments continue to violate trade union rights especially the right to organize and collective bargaining, while other employers are dragging the union to the courts. Currently the union has five pending court cases on recognition agreements whilst other cases are at the Commission for Mediation Arbitration and Conciliation. According to the union these cases are an attempt by employers to bankrupt the union as they take long, and the legal fees are expensive.

Currently, the union’s collective bargaining forums are not centralized, and the union would like to change this. In proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act, the union wants the collective bargaining forums to be centralized as this is beneficial to workers.

The union sees workers education as fundamental to trade union development and the capacity development of its members. To this end the union has trained four educators and intends to increase the numbers to commit at least 20 per cent of its funds to education.

ATUSWA is part of the unions and civil society organizations that are demanding democratic reforms and an end to Africa’s last absolute monarchy in Eswatini which is ruled by King Mswati III. The union believes the struggles of the community are also the struggles of workers.

“ATUSWA is demanding change. We want democracy, freedom, and equality. Pro-democracy MPs, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, who are facing ‘terrorism’ charges must be released and freedom of expression respected. National wealth cannot be in the hands of the king alone, but must be shared equitably,”

says Jabu Chauke, ATUSWA, 1st deputy secretary general and senior shop steward at garment manufacturer Fashion International Swaziland.

Union campaign pays off as Covid-19 vaccination rates hit 74% in South Africa’s garment sector

To promote workers vaccination, IndustriALL affiliate SACTWU entered into a strategic agreement with employers to facilitate vaccination through the union’s primary health care clinics. A report from the Covid-19 Vaccination Rollout Campaign Framework Agreement that the union signed with employers’ state:

“Out of a sample of 33 906 persons registered with the clothing industry's health care clinics, a total of 25 107 (or 74%) have now been vaccinated.”

The vaccination rate is more than double the national average of 35 per cent.

SACTWU says the report showed that out of 320 hospital admissions of garment workers, 295 (or 92 per cent) were unvaccinated, 21 (or 7 per cent) partially vaccinated and 4 (or 1 per cent) fully vaccinated.

Further, of the 56 Covid-19-related deaths recorded among the garment workers, 49 (or 88 per cent) were among the unvaccinated, 7 (or 13 per cent) partially vaccinated and none among the fully vaccinated, concludes the report.

“The union clinics are providing an essential service to workers and communities. When I went to the clinic, I got some education on why the vaccine is crucial in protecting me from Covid-19. I am now using this information to educate and encourage others to vaccinate especially the youth who must lead by example,”

says Nomandla Sizani, a SACTWU organizer, who got her jab at the Salt River health care centre in Cape Town.

Andre Kriel, SACTWU general secretary welcomes the report:

“We are pleased with this progress, which brings us within reach of the 80 per cent vaccination rate which the framework agreement sets as a target for our industry. We will continue to encourage all our members, in the sectors that we are organised, to get vaccinated.”

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary says:

“We commend the union for the ongoing vaccination campaigns. All efforts to make our members take the vaccine save lives. IndustriALL and other global unions are calling on the global community to remove obstacles to universal access to Covid-19 vaccines, including a TRIPs waiver on intellectual property rights to allow for the local production of vaccines in South Africa and other developing countries. This will improve vaccine equity and access in countries of the Global South.”

IndustriALL and other global unions recently called for universal access to Covid-19 vaccines, health products and technologies | IndustriALL
 
The South African government’s national vaccination programme which aims to vaccinate 40 million people or 67 per cent to reach population immunity, is facing vaccine hesitancy. Although the country has secured enough vaccines, fewer people are turning up for inoculation. According to the department of health by 7 December, 26, 6 million vaccines had been administered. However, four million people over the age of 50 and 13 million aged 18-34 are unvaccinated.

The vaccine hesitancy, mainly caused by anti-vaccination sentiments on social media platforms, has prompted the government to consider mandatory vaccination at workplaces and as a requirement to access public services. With the detection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant by South African scientists, it has been observed at one of the country’s largest hospitals, Baragwanath in Johannesburg, that most of the recent severe Covid-19 cases that require hospitalisation are among the unvaccinated aged below 35. For the vaccinated, the symptoms are said to be mild. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, over 90 000 people have died from Covid-19 complications since the outbreak of the pandemic.

To increase the vaccination uptake, the minister of employment and labour Thulas Nxesi said at a meeting of the country’s social dialogue council, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), that a committee has been set up to explore how mandatory vaccination can be conducted. But mandatory vaccination appears not to be the only strategy being used by the government, there are also cash prizes for getting vaccinated.

South Africa submits documents to ratify ILO Convention 190

Confronted by this horror, trade unions continue to fight against GBVH and the campaign for the ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 which seeks to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work and the adoption of Recommendation 206, are part of sustained actions to stop GBVH and create safer workplaces.

On 29 November, the South African government submitted its documents to the ILO as part of the ratification process. The documents were submitted at a meeting in Johannesburg with the ILO, the department of employment and labour, and trade unions that are part of the National Economic Development and Labour Council – the country’s social dialogue platform. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) represented unions.

When Convention 190 is ratified, it will complement national legislation that includes the Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Amendment Bills as well as the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Bill) that have been passed by parliament and will become law once signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Further, the country has a national strategic plan aimed at ending GBVH.

Unions are conducting awareness campaigns against GVBH and forming strategic alliances with civil society organizations that are targeting men, who have been identified by research as the main perpetrators of GBVH and domestic violence. Unions say GBVH is worsened by gender stereotypes found in harmful social and cultural practices, poverty, inequality, high unemployment, and weak law enforcement which promotes impunity.

Lydia Nkopane, from the National Union of Mineworkers, who is also the chairperson of the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa women’s committee says:

“We are optimistic that the domestication of Convention 190 into South African law will help to stop the scourge of GBVH especially in the mining and other male dominated industrial sectors where the abuses are rampant. Women should enjoy freedoms to go to work, come back to their families and live without fear of sexual harassment, rape, physical beatings, and even death perpetrated by their workmates or partners.”

Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, says:

“The ratification of C190 provides a valuable tool to address risk factors and prevent GBVH. The development of workplace policies will empower and protect workers by removing barriers to the implementation of existing laws. However, South African unions must remain vigilant to ensure the implementation of C190 and must conduct awareness campaigns for workers to understand the convention.”

According to reports incidences of GBVH and domestic violence increased during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown prompting the government to respond through laws and other policies. The government national command centre on gender-based violence recorded 120,000 cases in the first three weeks of the lockdown in 2020.

Fighting for African industrialization

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) met online on 19 November to grapple with the obstacles during an Africa Industrialization Day webinar under the theme “Trade union approaches and engagement on African industrialization and the promotion of manufacturing for job creation, decent work, and sustainable development”.

The unions have been carrying out this campaign for the last five years. The webinar, hosted jointly with ITUC-Africa, and attended by 70 participants, came after national workshops in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda where there were discussions on national industrial policies between unions and governments. The webinar discussed the role that trade unions can play to influence policymaking, implementation and monitoring of industrialization plans in SSA.

The unions called upon the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to prioritize the decent work agenda after unions pointed out that the agreement is silent on creating decent jobs, workers’ rights, social protection, and social dialogue. According to the unions, this exclusion can lead to the violation of international labour standards and national labour laws.

The AfCFTA agreement which began trading this year has been signed by 54 countries and has an estimated combined GDP of U$3 trillion with potential to increase intra-African trade by 50 per cent.

Peter Serwoono, senior advisor to the AfCFTA said stakeholders including unions will be invited to “participate in discussions at the national and regional levels on the development of AfCFTA implementation strategies.”

ITUC-Africa has already started working with the AfCFTA on the inclusion and is launching a guide titled Trade Unions and trade: A guide to the AfCFTA to help workers to understand the agreement.

Eric Manzi, ITUC-Africa deputy general secretary, said:

“Some of the lessons learn learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic that are useful to African industrialization strategies include adopting a multisectoral approach, effective policies for job creation growth, poverty reduction, strengthening economies and ending corruption. Further, technical training, public investments, education and training and building institutional capacities are key for sustainable industrialization.”

Vishwas Satgar, a climate expert from the University of the Witwatersrand emphasized the repurposing of industries and the creation of green jobs in the renewable energy sector in what he termed “climate emergency manufacturing” and “indigenous industrialization” models that included “socially-owned renewables.”
 
African industrialization is hampered by the economies that are mainly based on exporting raw materials that include minerals, oil and gas, and agricultural products. Manufacturing has remained subdued at less than 10 per cent of GDP. Additionally, industrial policies have been partly implemented while illicit financials flows are common.
 
Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“Workers must have a say in industrial policies that will determine the future of their industries. We must challenge the narrative that Africa is poor; the continent is sufficiently rich in minerals and other resources, but the wealth is stolen through corruption. To counter this, we need structural change that enables sustainable industrialization that will address issues of mobility, energy decarbonisation, Just Transition, global supply chains and the future of work.”

Union intensifies calls for urgent dialogue on multiparty democracy in Eswatini

The congress was attended by 60 delegates from the union’s 20 branches from the textile and garment sector and other manufacturing industries.

The congress was held under the theme: Reasserting worker control in the defence of fundamental rights. The national congress discussed how ATUSWA “can maximize its contribution towards democratization of the country in order to have a government that listens to the plight of the workers.”

 

The union says judging by recent events workers’ and human rights including freedom of association continue to be violated.

Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA general secretary says:

“On 21 October, while at a meeting in Matsapha, and as a build-up to the textile strike action that was interdicted by the Industrial Court, the police without warning threw tear-gas at the workers and union officials. This happened even though the police had been informed of the meeting.”

Further, the union states that over 100 people, including union members, were shot and killed by the police and army while several were injured in recent pro-democracy protests. The injured and dead include high school students. Schools, colleges, and universities are still closed with only a few opening for examinations.

 

“There must be urgent dialogue now and not in three months’ time. This is the time for decisive action. We cannot afford to delay when state security agents continue to use excessive force,”

says Mkhonza.

Despite the violence, the union continues to encourage workers to take part in the pro-democracy campaign and argues that workers, as members of communities, should be involved in community struggles.

“For a long time, the people of Eswatini have faced brute force and persecution from the security forces and the courts when they demonstrated. We want democratic reforms and not an absolute monarchy headed by a king more concerned about the luxuries of the royal family at the expense of citizens who live in poverty. We want meaningful dialogue, and will continue protesting until our demands are met,”

said one worker.

Petitions have been presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council by unions and civil society organizations calling upon the government to respect human rights.

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, wrote to the Eswatini Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini:

“At the IndustriALL Global Union Congress, on 14-15 September, 3000 online delegates from 434 organizations in 111 countries adopted unanimously a resolution, which expresses deep concern about the continuing violence in Eswatini and calls for democratic reforms in the country.”

The Southern African Development Community, chairperson for the organ on politics, defence and security, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with King Mswati III as part of diplomatic efforts “to end violence and conflict and maintain peace and calm in the kingdom as work commences on the national dialogue process.”

Protests erupted in Eswatini, Africa’s only absolute monarchy, when communities, unions and civil society organizations took to the streets to demand democratic reforms including a review of the 2005 constitution, a repeal of the 1973 proclamation that banned political parties, and other repressive laws.

King Mswati III, who has executive, judicial, and legislative powers, makes key appointments of ministers and the prime minister. An extravagant lifestyle of the king and the royal family – of luxury cars and private jets – amidst poverty, inequality and unemployment has angered unions, communities, and civil society. The king, who is listed among the richest monarchs has an estimated net worth of $200 million. His family of 15 wives and 23 children benefits from a national budget allocation of over $65 million per year for the royal household.

According to the World Food Programme, Eswatini has a poverty rate of 58.9 per cent and the country’s 26 percent HIV prevalence is amongst the highest in the world. Unemployment is estimated to be over 40 per cent.

Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy comes under the spotlight at Sub Saharan Africa occupational health and safety meeting

However, the unions say the hesitancy can be reversed through awareness campaigns and providing educational information to counter false information mainly from social media platforms. According to the African Union’s African Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention only 5.8 per cent of the continent’s population is vaccinated.

The unions met online on 10 November to discuss health and safety strategies under the Covid-19 pandemic. The discussions included tensions created by vaccine hesitancy which could be eased if government involved unions in their national vaccination plans.

The online meeting, attended by participants from 10 countries organizing in the chemical, metals, mining, textile, and garment, and other sectors discussed how unions were involved in campaigns for vaccination and the respect for workers’ rights.

The unions said mandatory vaccination as proposed by some governments infringed on workers’ rights to choose. Instead, the unions preferred engagement that persuaded workers to get vaccinated. Drawing similarities with the earlier days of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in which there was stigma associated with testing, the unions said lessons could be learnt from the strategies that were used then.

The meeting heard that some unions were conducting initiatives to improve health and safety. Rudi De Koker from the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) said the union with support from employers continued to provide affordable primary health care services to members through its clinics. The South African national department of health has recognised the clinics as part of the Covid-19 vaccination sites and as pilot projects for the national health insurance.

Another strategy that is working to cub hesitancy involve joint efforts by employers and trade unions. For example, Vacus Kun from United Workers Union of Liberia (UWUL) said the union is working with ArcelorMittal in Liberia to promote vaccination, and over 80 per cent of the workers have been vaccinated.

Further, the unions said most International Labour Organization need to have their accompanying codes of practices update to keep up with developments.

“We have conventions that are outdated, yet so much has changed. We need conventions that address our current realities and challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic,”

said Ousman Diop from SNTICS Senegal.

Convention 190 on violence and harassment, which unions want ratified, was highlighted as valuable to curbing gender-based violence and harassment and to improving safety at work.

Health and safety remained at the core of trade union work argued the unions saying members joined the union for safer workplaces through collective bargaining agreements.

Most countries, including Nigeria and Zimbabwe, had laws and regulations that promoted health and safety. However, the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) said health and safety in the mines is deteriorating with increasing injuries and deaths from accidents caused by non-compliance by mining companies.

“Occupational health and safety cuts across most of the trade union’s activities and is a useful tool for advancing workers’ rights, building union power, and ending precarious working conditions. Due diligence is also about health and safety,”

said Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining.

Unions uneasy over South African Just Transition finance deal announced at COP26

However, they say that the multilateral Just Energy Transition partnership agreement announced by United States' President Joe Biden at COP26 on 2 November, lacks details on how the energy transition will happen. The partnership worth US$8.5 billion aims to assist South African plans to close coal mines earlier and move to renewable energy sources.

The partnership, which will provide funds for the energy transition from carbon intensive coal to low carbon renewable energy sources that include solar and wind, was signed by the governments of South Africa and France, Germany, United Kingdom, US, and the European Union. It will be implemented over three to five years. The agreement is the first of its kind and a possible model for other developing countries.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa described the partnership, which is made up of concessional finance, as a “watershed moment” that will increase the country’s energy security by “creating jobs and harnessing new opportunities for investment, with support from developed economies.”
 
“Climate change is an existential challenge that confronts us all and South Africa is committed to playing its part in reducing global emissions” he said, adding that there will be investments in electrical vehicle manufacturing and green hydrogen.

According to the government, the agreement will benefit coal miners and communities. Unions say over 100,000 coal miners will lose jobs. Another 100,000 people in the communities, who make a living from the coal value chain, will need compensation when the mines are closed. Studies estimate that the just transition cost for coal mineworkers will include compensation, retraining, relocation and rehabilitation of communities and other costs related to regional economic development.

The partnership is also expected to provide funds to power utility Eskom for the decommissioning of coal-fired power stations that are concentrated in the Mpumalanga Province. South Africa is the world’s 12th highest polluter and the highest in Africa.

Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary says:

“We are concerned that this announcement will accelerate a rush to close coal fired power stations before a viable solution for a consistent energy supply is found. Currently renewable energy cannot meet the needs of industry. If there is to be a transition, the government must deliver a social plan to develop provinces and regions that will be affected, with specific pathways on how to replace jobs and industries.”

 

“While funding the transition is key, the process followed is more important to the union. The union needs assurance that workers and working-class communities will not be negatively affected. Presently, it is not clear what this money will be used for, under what conditions it will be accessed, and if a significant part of it will be used to protect workers and communities. The unions remain uneasy about the deal,”

says William Mabapa, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) acting general secretary.

The country’s energy transition policies include the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that are part of the Paris Agreement. Additionally, the Integrated Resource Plan (2019-2030) outlines how coal will be replaced by renewable energy and gas sources.

Diana Junquera Curiel, the IndustriALL director for the energy industry says:

“This is an important partnership because climate change mitigation needs global cooperation especially between the developed and developing countries. Further, the South African government must further engage with trade unions and negotiate with them to protect the interests of the workers and communities. This can be done through a detailed Just Transition plan which stipulates on fair compensation, training and other benefits for workers, and communities.”

South African mine workers union commits to recruitment and better service to members

The conference was attended by over 400 delegates and the issues discussed included strategic organizing and improving services to members, including representation in conciliation and mediation, union engagement on mining policies, the mining charter, energy policies, cement manufacturing, gender-based violence and harassment, and updates on processes to adopt International Labour Organization Convention 190. Health and safety and Covid-19 vaccination were the other issues discussed. There were calls to include more women and young workers in the union’s activities and decision making.

On workers welfare, there were discussions on living wages through negotiating for collective bargaining agreements that maintained decent wages and working conditions that the union has organized over the years. So far, the union has signed wage agreements with 13 mining companies. There were also discussions on retirement benefits and plans to trace retired workers who have not yet claimed their pensions. The union discussed models that can be adopted to provide decent housing to the workers. Additionally, the conference debated the importance of building the capacity of the union shop steward in a changing world of work and to provide skills to counter precarious work through union organizing.

The conference heard that mining continued to contribute to the country’s GDP and that it is amongst the sectors leading in the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Most NUM members are from the mining sector including gold, platinum, coal, and other metals. The union is against the mothballing of mines, which has led to tens of thousands job losses resulting in the union losing members.

The union said it is opposed to the privatization of the public power utility, Eskom. Instead, it favours the involvement of the state-owned enterprise in the renewable energy sector currently dominated by independent power producers and the protection of jobs.

On the Just Transition, one of the most discussed topics at the conference, William Mabapa, NUM acting general secretary said:

“The debate on the abandoning of coal and moving to renewable energy without considering the interests of the coal mineworkers and power station workers is dangerous. Abruptly stopping coal mining will destroy the economy of the Mpumalanga province which is dependent on the fossil fuel. In that sense, navigating the energy transition is important for miners and communities. Further, we must secure the energy supply before moving to renewables and therefore need an energy mix policy that includes nuclear.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“Trade unions, like most organization go through a life cycle. As it approaches its 40th anniversary, the NUM is maturing as a strong union and the discussions that took place at the policy conference reflect this. It is strategic that the NUM is discussing the future of work and redefining its role as a trade union in the current digital age.”

Union wins as strike action ends in three-year wage agreement

IndustriALL affiliate NUMSAsigned the agreement with the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), which represents most of the employers in the sector.

The union wants the agreement to be extended to other employer organizations that include South African Engineering and Founders Association (SAEFA) and National Employment Association of South Africa (NEASA) who the union says are “anti-worker and union bashers.” NUMSA wants these employer associations to sign the agreement and not be “free riders” who implement the wage deal without being party to the agreement. The union says all workers in the industry should benefit from the wage agreement.

On 25 October, Macsteel, a large steel manufacturing company, heeded the call by NUMSA and became one of the first employers from SAEFA to sign the agreement.

The strike began when wage negotiations were deadlocked with the union demanding eight per cent and rejecting the initial employers offer of 4.4 per cent. The union argued that workers sacrificed for the survival of the industries when they agreed to no wage increases in 2020 to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the sector.
 
Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary says:

“We have taken a conscious decision that as a union we will compromise and accept the current offer from SEIFSA of six per cent on minimums for the sole purpose of settling the current strike in the best interest of our members. It is NUMSA members who have paid a heavy price during the strike, and it is in their interest that the union does everything possible to ensure that we resolve the strike as soon as possible, as each day on a strike is a sacrifice – according to the no-work-no-pay rule. The agreement further safeguards the industry rates of pay and workers will receive their backdated pay from 1 July, 2021.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“We applaud NUMSA on its tough negotiating strategy which resulted in this wage deal that is crucial as it will maintain living wages in the engineering and metals sector for the next three years.”