While trade unions have applied for a certificate to launch strike action within the South African engineering sector, this does not necessarily mean that strikes are inevitable, or that such action is the only option still available to workers in the sector.

This is the view of Gordon Angus, executive director of the South African Engineers and Founders Association (SAEFA).

SAEFA said it recently appointed an independent lead negotiator to represent employers in the current wage negotiations with engineering and steel sector workers and their unions.

“The reality is that strike action will be extremely detrimental to employees and the sector as a whole,” Angus said, “not to mention the additional pressure that it will bring to bear on the already tenuous economic situation in the country.”

He pointed to Jonathan Goldberg’s appointment as an independent negotiator by SAEFA, as a clear indication by the association and the businesses it represents, of their desire to reach a solution that will prevent strike action while also setting a solid and realistic foundation on which the sector can build going forward.

However, he pointed out that reaching such a solution requires the same level of commitment by the labour representatives to acting in the best interests of all parties, particularly the financial wellbeing of the employees they represent.

“Offers presented by employers have been summarily dismissed by unions, indicating the absence of a sincere desire to reach a sustainable solution that benefits all parties,” Angus said. He added that it was rather a predisposition by the union towards strike action.

He said an example of this was NUMSA’s rejection of a proposal of a reduced entry-level wage for new employees in the sector. He added that this indicated the union’s unwillingness to find a solution that promotes the long-term sustainability of the sector.

“SAEFA and the other employer representative associations have repeatedly assured employees that the proposed lower hourly wage (initially proposed at R20 per hour, the same level as the national minimum wage) is only for new, unskilled employees in the sector,” he said. He added that this will never be passed on to existing employed, trained and experienced workers.

However Angus said unions appear unwilling to trust that this was the case, or that the intention behind the lower entry-level wage structure is to make it financially viable for the industry to provide further work opportunities and training to even more South Africans.

“I am confident that if the parties are willing to come to the table with an open mind and a willingness to consider all viewpoints and concerns, a solution can be found that avoids the potentially devastating consequences of industrial action,” he said.

However, he said this solution would require a sincere commitment by employers and the union to set aside any other agendas they may have and negotiate with the best interests – both current and future – of the entire industry in mind.