While Numsa is still in the midst of negotiations, some Cosatu affiliates have signed new agreements with employers. Some of these give workers important new rights.
Read these short extracts from affiliates' press statements to find out what they have achieved and to get ideas of what Numsa could demand next year.
Cotton textile wage negotiations
A strike in the 13 000 strong cotton textile manufacturing sector was narrowly averted after employers at conciliation raised their wage offer from 8.31% to 9.03%, raising the minimum wage per week to R580.50.
The agreement also increases workers' annual bonus by half a week to three and a half weeks regardless of years of service. At the end of next year, the annual bonus could increase to four weeks per year of service.
The agreement according to Sactwu, also:
forces employers to make contract workers permanent after six months, establishes job grading committees to deal with grading disputes at plant level, establishes thresholds for organisational rights for trade unions, strengthens the closed shop in the sector, increases shop stewards' time off for trade union activities.
With regard to learnerships, employers:
must implement them will not be able to use learners as scab labour during strikes will not be allowed to employ more than 10% of their permanent workforce as learners, will not be allowed to retrench permanent workers and replace them with learners must offer learners permanent employment once their learnership is completed.
Leather wage negotiations
Sactwu has negotiated a 10% wage package increase for leather workers. 9% goes to wage increases and the other 1% to improve employers' provident fund contribution levels.
Other clauses in the agreement provide for an improved maternity payment from three to four months and two hours paid time off for training of all leather workers on HIV/Aids
Carpet wage negotiations
Sactwu has negotiated a 9% across the board wage increase with effect from 1 July 2003 , and a further 1% wage increase with effect from 1 January 2004 for workers in the carpet manufacturing sector. The new industry minimum weekly wage will increase from R575.36 to R632.89 per week.
Most companies already pay above the industry minimum wage. The annual bonus for most workers with more than 4 years' service will increase to 4 weeks' wages, payable at the end of each year.
The agreement also requires all employers in the sector to contribute a levy of 10c per employee per week to the union's HIV/AIDS awareness campaign.
Other features of the agreement provide for an increase in paid time-off for Sactwu shop stewards for trade union activities, an increase in the weekly bargaining council levy, a catch-up wage payment for those companies who are still paying below the industry minimum wage, and the establishment of a sub-committee to investigate the extent of hours of work in the sector.
Security Industry
The Department of Labour has finally gazetted the three-year wage agreement that was signed between the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and the Private Security Service Industry.
It will be effective from 16 June 2003 . This is almost 7 months after the agreement was signed with employers.
The agreement gives workers:
an overall increase of 10% inclusive of the 100% bonus for the first year. In subsequent years they will receive an average of 8% to 9% increase overall. a night shift allowance, which will be progressively increased from R1.35 to R2.50 in the third year. annual leave in terms of the BCEA. three days study leave.
The new minimum will be R1300 per month and R911.00 per month in all other areas not covered by the determination. Satawu has vowed to continue fighting for the establishment of a bargaining council in the industry.
Clothing negotiations
The 110 000 workers in the clothing industry can look forward to a wage package increase of between 9.2% and 12.4%, after Sactwu signed the agreement with employers.
The wage package covers "improvements in the weekly minimum wage, in annual bonuses, in employer provident fund contribution rates, and in bargaining council levy contributions," says Sactwu. All clothing employers must also pay a 10c per week per employee levy to the union's HIV/Aids Project.
This will bring in R1/2 million for the Union 's Aids awareness campaign. This is the first agreement signed under the newly established National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Industry.
For the first time ever, one national agreement covers all clothing employers and all clothing workers in the whole of South Africa including those in all decentralised areas of the country.
Mines negotiations
As Numsa News went to print, the National Union of Mineworkers and the Chamber of Mines were still no closer to reaching a settlement. Although the Chamber had raised its wage offer to 7% from 6,5%, this was nowhere Num's demand for a 20% increase.
Source
Numsa News