Lockout: Non-binding BC agreement

2 Comments

1. 

   Graham Giles on September 10, 2014 at 11:18 am

   Battle over extension of Meibc collective agreement

   Karl Gernetsky’s report Metals sector meeting over wage request postponed first appeared in BDLive yesterday and demonstrates the problems the Minister of Labour is going to have if it is decided to extend the bargaining council agreement to non-parties.

   A MEETING aimed at reaching a decision on whether to request the minister of labour to extend a wage agreement in the metals and engineering sector has been rescheduled until next week.

   A managing committee of the Metals and Engineering Bargaining Council (Meibc) meeting was adjourned after some parties raised concerns that a notice period of six- and-a-half days for the meeting did not meet a constitutional provision of a week’s notices, general-secretary of the council Thulani Mthiyane said on Tuesday.

   The National Employers Association of SA (Neasa) has rejected a wage agreement signed between the largest employer body in the council, the Steel Engineering Industries Federation of SA, and six unions in July. Neasa maintains its members cannot afford the wage deal of up to 10%, and is demanding a return to negotiations saying it had been sidelined.

   Neasa CEO Gerhard Papenfus said on Tuesday the association had also requested details on an audit on representation within the council at the meeting on Tuesday. Only figures on membership had been provided, by the bargaining council, but these have been questioned by some unions.
   . . .

   The council covers more than 10,000 companies and 300,000 employees and while an extension of the collective agreement does not necessarily require the signatories meet the 50% threshold, Neasa had successfully challenged the audit figures of the 2011 agreement in court.

   The Department of Labour had requested additional details from unions on identity numbers and companies, but trade union Solidarity, which maintains figures provided last week are half of what the union represents, has also required information on the methodology of the audit.

2. 

   Graham Giles on September 12, 2014 at 12:09 pm

   Numsa to fight lock-out ruling

   According to a report today, 12 September 2014, in Legalbrief LSSA, referring to a report in the Cape Times, the National Union of Metalworkers SA (Numsa) will apply for leave to appeal the judgment.