The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says it is ready to engage with employer associations in the steel and engineering sector in a bid to end its crippling strike.

The wage strike is now in its second week.

Numsa is demanding an 8% across the board.

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa has improved its offer from 4.4% to 6%, but the National Employers’ Association and the Engineers and Founders Association are refusing to budge.

Numsa General-Secretary Irvin Jim says, “Numsa is ready to meet with the employer organisation and negotiate the settlement in whatever platform, to an extent that employers are ready to meet under Section 150 facilitated by CCMA. Numsa is ready to engage and we call on the employer association to use this platform for genuine engagement, it cannot be used as a delaying tactic.”

March

On Thursday, Numsa members together with members of the South African Transport Workers Union marched to the offices of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to hand over a memorandum of demands addressed to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and the Heads of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa and subsidiary passenger bus company Autopax.

Numsa Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola speaks on the march: