File Picture:Dumisani Dube
Pretoria- The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Friday signed a wage increase motor sector workers.
The sector covers over three hundred thousand workers who fall under the Motor Industries Bargaining Council (MIBCO). It covers employees who are working for petrol garages, car dealerships, vehicle body builders, and component manufacturing companies.
Car dealership employees will receive a 6.5% increase and a further 7.5% has been granted for component manufacturers and petrol attendants, meanwhile cashiers will receive 5%.
Numsa's spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said besides securing increases for workers in the sector, Numsa also fought for the wage threshold in MIBCO to be increased.
“The minimum rate of pay was at R188 000 per annum. Now, because of the signing of this agreement, the wage threshold will be adjusted in line with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and will be set at R224 080 per annum.
“The union’s most urgent task now is to ensure that the processes of endorsement of the agreement within MIBCO are sped up and, also to approach the Department of Labour to gazette and extend it to non-parties,” she said.
On the other hand, Cosatu-affiliated trade unions, such as Nehawu, nurses union, Denosa, police and prisons union Popcru and health union Hospersa, on Tuesday were issued with a strike certificate to join public servants union, PSA, after marathon wage talks failed to resolve the issues at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).
Some of these unions took to the street this week in protest against the 3% wage increase offer by acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi, who invoked Section 5 of the Public Service Act to implement a 3% wage increase in the public service.
Workers belonging to these unions have been picketing outside the offices of the PSCBC offices in Centurion since Monday.
Nehawu's spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi said the union will now embark on a development plan for a possible strike from next week.
IOL