A strike in the metals and engineering sector entered its eighth day after the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) rejected a revised pay offer.
“I have been told that Numsa rejected Seifsa’s revised offer of 6% for lowest-paid workers and 5% for highest-paid workers last night,” Gerhard Papenfus, CEO of the rival National Employers Association of SA (Neasa), indicated. He advised that Neasa had proposed a one-year 4.28% wage increase, which Numsa had last week turned down. Lucio Trentini, CEO of Seifsa, confirmed that Numsa had rejected its revised three-year offer, and said Seifsa would be holding a briefing at 11am on Friday. Given the current economic and trading conditions and economic date tracking the performance of the sector over the last 24 months, we believe the improved offer is more than fair, equitable and sustainable,” Trentini commented. On the way forward, Papenfus advised that a conciliation process facilitated by the CCMA [Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration] will follow soon.