Numsa ends strike in metals and engineering sectors

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The National Union of Metalworkers SA announced on Monday that the strike in the engineering and metal sector is over after it accepted a wage offer.

"The settlement offer has been overwhelmingly and unanimously accepted by our members," Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said.

"This is a massive victory given the pittance offer at the point of deadlock. For this we salute metalworkers."

The settlement offer included a 10 percent wage increase every year for the lowest paid members for the next three years, he said.

He called on workers to report for work from Tuesday.

Numsa held a special national executive committee meeting over the weekend, following the tabling of a wage offer by the labour department aimed at ending the strike in the metals sector.

The new proposal includes a three-year agreement with increases of between eight and 10 percent, depending on whether the workers were high or low earners.

Over 200,000 Numsa members in the metal and engineering sector downed tools on July 1, demanding a salary increase of 12 percent, down from their pre-strike demand of 15 percent. They also demanded a R1000 housing allowance, and a total ban on labour brokers.

The union announced on July 13 that it had lowered its wage demand to 10 percent.

Sapa