In a bid to turn the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) around, trade union Solidarity has called for the council to be placed under curatorship and will approach the Labour Court for an order to appoint a curator or trustee with full business rescue powers.

Solidarity deputy general secretary Marius Croucamp said Tuesday that the trade union had to intervene to “save what could be saved”, adding that the “prolonged mismanagement” of the MEIBC had been characterised by major financial irregularities, pillaging and internal politicking.

“All of this has brought the MEIBC to its knees and a point has been reached where the council cannot meet its basic responsibilities anymore,” he stated.

Croucamp further noted that this step was not just in Solidarity members’ interest, but in the interest of the entire industry. “Orderly collective bargaining and dispute resolution are key to the stability of the industry. Responsible players in the industry have to work together to protect the industry,” he said.

Croucamp explained that the MEIBC had outstanding debts it could not redeem. “Owing to outstanding fees of more than R2-million owed to dispute resolution company Tokiso, dispute resolution in the industry has ground to a virtual halt. The disputes of ordinary people are simply not being heard and dealt with.”

He added that numerous requests directed to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant to intervene had fallen on deaf ears. “The Minister simply turned a blind eye to numerous letters expounding the dismal state of the council’s finances and the mismanagement of it,” Croucamp said.

Solidarity hoped the appointed curator or trustee would be able to get the council back on track and would be able to free it from the “grip of paralysis” it currently found itself in.

“The curator will be given three months to turn matters around. If that does not happen, then the MEIBC could face final liquidation in 2017,” he explained.