With the current wage and working condition agreement in the metals and engineering sector close to expiration, it was agreed at the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council management committee meeting on May 18 that the main agreement wages and conditions of employment negotiations will formally get under way on June 3 and 4 to create a new agreement.
The current main agreement concluded between the relevant trade unions and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa’s (Seifsa’s) affiliated associations in 2020 remains in force and effect until June 30.
It was also agreed during the May 18 meeting that the negotiations will be facilitated by a commissioner of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, and that all parties involved will use their best endeavours to conclude an agreement as soon as is practicably possible.
The Seifsa council-appointed main agreement negotiating team, having presented and been given a broad mandate to reach settlement, will now start its work in earnest to ensure that everything reasonably possible is done to reach an agreement and deliver an agreement to the membership within the mandate agreed to by the associations.