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The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has issued a certificate of nonresolution with regard to a failed mediation process held earlier this week to establish a wage agreement between employer organisation, the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec), and trade unions.
The certificate allowed the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Building, Construction and Allied Workers Union (BCAWU) to embark on procedural strike action once 48 hours’ notice had been given to Safcec.
The unions told Engineering News Online that they would meet with their representative shopstewards over the weekend to obtain a mandate from their members that would determine their next course of action.
However, neither ruled out the possibility of strike action from next week.
BCAWU general secretary Narius Moloto said the union would continue direct engagement with Safcec despite the issuance of the nonresolution certificate, with a view to reaching an agreement on wages by the weekend.
“While we do not want to strike, and will avoid it if we can, we will consider strike action from Monday if there is no deal,” he said.
NUM regional coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal Bhekani Ngcobo added that, should the union’s demands not be met, there would be “no other option but to submit a notice of intent to strike.”
Safcec confirmed that a deadlock had been reached between the parties and that the CCMA had issued a certificate of nonresolution.