Trade union Solidarity on Wednesday said it was the only union, so far, to submit a new main wage agreement to the Metal and Engineering Industry Bargaining Council (MEIBC) for industry level wage negotiations for the year.
A new agreement was necessary since the Labour Court declared the previous two main agreements invalid. For this reason, the proposed main agreement, which covers more than 450 pages, was updated and largely rewritten from the previous valid agreement.
Solidarity metal and engineering industry deputy secretary Marius Croucamp, said the new agreement was essential in ensuring that the service conditions in the industry did not revert to the previous agreement.
“Solidarity wants to act proactively to assist the industry and its workers and to ensure stability in the industry,” he noted.
“We cannot let the industry and its workers be further handicapped by a dated agreement,” Croucamp stressed.
The negotiations would continue on Thursday, whereafter the subsequent negotiation dates would be decided. Solidarity’s initial demand is for a wage increase of 10%.
About 340 000 employees at industrial level fall under the MEIBC.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has indicated it intends to seek a wage increase of 15%.