Following a standoff between unions and employer bodies in the metals and engineering sector after wage negotiations deadlocked last week, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) on Monday withdrew its lockout notice to Solidarity.

Seifsa on Friday served a 48-hour lockout notice to all six unions within the metals and engineering sector involved in wage negotiations under the auspices of the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC).

Seifsa CEO Kaizer Nyatsumba said the lockout notice was in response to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) strike notice, following the expiry of the 30-day period of the dispute resolution procedures within the MEIBC on Wednesday last week.

The strike would see over 220 000 Numsa members down tools on July 1 in indefinite industrial action in the sector.

The move by Seifsa to serve the lockout notice had been slammed by Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis, who said the lockout would prevent 22 000 Solidarity members – who had no intention of striking – from reporting to work and continuing with production.

Seifsa subsequently withdrew its lockout notice to Solidarity following a meeting between Nyatsumba, who initiated the sit-down, and Du Plessis on Monday.

“[I] appreciate the fact that Solidarity is sufficiently concerned about the poor state of the economy, including the ailing metals and engineering industries … [and] hope that the other unions, which have all given notice to go on strike, can also be persuaded to forego the strike or to end it as soon as possible,” Nyatsumba said in a statement.

Solidarity welcomed Seifsa’s decision, with Du Plessis stating that the union regarded this as a “welcome accomplishment” for collective bargaining.

Seifsa said it would continue to make itself available for one-on-one meetings with different role-players and other interested parties with a view to “ending the strike just as it is beginning”.

To that end, it and Solidarity have agreed to immediately continue with salary negotiations.