The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa), which represents 19 affiliated employer organisations, has tabled a three-year wage deal.
This followed after negotiations were held with labour unions, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, Solidarity, Uasa, the Metal and Electrical Workers' Union of South Africa and the South African Equity Workers Association, on June 21.
The offer is for wages for year one to remain at rates agreed to in 2020 and for wage increases linked to the Consumer Price Index for years two and three.
The trade unions have undertaken to consider the offer and the negotiating parties have agreed to a two-week cooling off period to allow for a continuation of the informal engagement processes that took place between the Seifsa main agreement negotiating team, all the trade unions and other nonparty employer organisations in the lead-up to the June 21 negotiations.
The parties will reconvene negotiations on July 5 and 12.