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17 April, 2001The South African metalworkers' union has stated it will adopt a tougher stance in upcoming wage talks.
SOUTH AFRICA: At the end of its three-day National Bargaining Conference in Benoni last week, the general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, Silumko Nondwangu, warned employers that the union's struggle for wage increases for its members would be stronger than in any other previous year.
Nondwangu said Numsa would focus on reaching wage settlements in both the motor industry and engineering. The emphasis on these two sectors stems from the fact that, according to the union, they are the most "vulnerable" in the metal industry and have suffered the most job losses.
The Numsa conference reviewed the union's bargaining strategy, particularly on issues such as ensuring new forms of work reorganisation to empower workers. The metal industry has shed the most formal sector work, with over 500,000 job losses in the last 20 years, mainly the result says the union of the introduction of "capital-intensive technology, operational requirements, illegal importation and dumping of goods, tariff reductions and labour market flexibility."
Wage negotiations will begin at the end of April.
Source: Business Day
Nondwangu said Numsa would focus on reaching wage settlements in both the motor industry and engineering. The emphasis on these two sectors stems from the fact that, according to the union, they are the most "vulnerable" in the metal industry and have suffered the most job losses.
The Numsa conference reviewed the union's bargaining strategy, particularly on issues such as ensuring new forms of work reorganisation to empower workers. The metal industry has shed the most formal sector work, with over 500,000 job losses in the last 20 years, mainly the result says the union of the introduction of "capital-intensive technology, operational requirements, illegal importation and dumping of goods, tariff reductions and labour market flexibility."
Wage negotiations will begin at the end of April.
Source: Business Day