The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says it expects a strike certificate to be issued after parties failed to find common ground during a dispute resolution process held over two days in the motor sector this week.
Numsa, the biggest union in the country with more than 400,000 members, is demanding a 12% increase from employers including the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) and the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), which have offered increases of between 3% and 4% for forecourt attendants, cleaners and cashiers.
The SA Reserve Bank has forecast a headline inflation rate of 6.5% for 2022. Numsa has members in crucial sectors including construction, energy, steel and manufacturing, where it has been demanding inflation-beating increases due to the rising cost of living that has affected food, fuel, transport and electricity costs.
The motor sector represents employees in components manufacturing companies, fuel stations, car dealerships, car cleaning companies, auto parts assembly and panel-beating workshops, and employs about 306,000 workers nationally, of which about 90,000 are Numsa members.
The parties had been negotiating at the Motor Industries Bargaining Council’s (Mibco) Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC) in an effort to break the wage deadlock lodged by Numsa recently, after three rounds of talks failed to reach consensus.
Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola told Business Day: “We have not made much progress in motor. We met with employers in the sector on Monday and Tuesday this week under the auspices of Mibco. We submitted picketing rules and no new offer was made by employers. Unfortunately, it seems we are being pushed towards a national strike.
“We are expecting the commissioner to give us a strike certificate on Tuesday next week. We have not yet determined a date for strike action. Members will guide us on that. In the meantime, we will be mobilising members all over the country for a total shutdown of [the] motor [sector].”
The FRA has said it would not be negotiating through the media. RMI chief negotiator Jacques Viljoen did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
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