Back to work, back to reality
Strikers back on the job while managers brainstorm damage control.
AS employees make it back to work after a month-long protest in the metals and engineering industry, their employers are faced with the difficult task of ‘making up for lost time’ in the now marred sector.
It was announced on Monday that union representatives and employer bodies finally reached consensus on an annual 10% raise in a three-year wage offer.
More than 200 000 members of the National Union of Metalworkers SA (Numsa) took industrial action nationwide on 1 July, demanding a 15% wage increase.
The strike became destructive across the country with marchers in Richards Bay’s industrial zone, Alton, using intimidation tactics and throwing stones at non-striking workers, despite the SAP’s efforts to monitor the mob.
However, after riding the storm, local industry leaders have taken the positive and proactive ‘adapt or die’ approach to get their businesses back on track.
Competitive market
‘We are pleased that the three year wage settlement will bring some stability to the workplace and allow the company to grow the business in a highly competitive business environment,’ said Bell Equipment Human Resources Group Executive, Lucas Maloka.
‘Unionised employees, who took part in the industrial action, were back at work on Tuesday.
‘Management is busy reviewing production requirements with the view to make up for lost production,’ Maloka said.
Engineering Top Tech Managing Director, André McDuling, shared similar sentiments, focusing on ‘business going forward’.
‘We are happy to have all our employees back at work and it is business as usual.
‘We are fortunate that our staff worked extremely hard to keep production efficient during the protest action, so we didn’t suffer too much of a loss.
‘But we will implement some overtime to make up for any time lost.’
McDuling added that the new wage agreement puts pressure on costs to the company, but that there is ‘no use crying over spilled milk’.
‘There are no alternatives than to save costs in other areas.
‘At the end of the day, overseas competitors are certainly not bucking off.’
