Thursday, September 26, 2013

NUMSA, Fuel Association Reach Wage Agreement in South Africa

Numsa, fuel association reach wage agreement

Despite not having signed an agreement, the Fuel Retailers' Association and Numsa have found common ground in ongoing wage disputes.

25 Sep 2013 20:37 Sapa

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Fuel Retailers' Association (FRA) have reached an agreement in wage talks in the automotive sector, it was announced on Wednesday.

"We are pleased to have come to a position of agreement with Numsa," said FRA chief executive Reggie Sibiya.

"The agreement has, however, not been signed, and it is still subject to Numsa taking it to its national executive council [NEC] for ratification," he said.

Sibiya said he could not disclose details of the agreement until Numsa had consulted with its leadership.

Workers on strike

Workers have been on strike for more than three weeks, demanding an across-the-board increase of R30 an hour by 2016 on actual rates of pay in all sectors and divisions for workers earning above R6 000 a month.

Employers were offering a 7.5% increase in wages.

Numsa could not be immediately reached for comment on whether the agreement would end the strike.

After weeks of deadlocked discussions, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant intervened on Monday in negotiations between unions and employers of petrol attendants and vehicle industry workers, calling for a speedy resolution.

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