Auto shop stewards recently attended a Numsa three-day course on their collective bargaining agreement. Numsa ran workshops in Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Durban . Mlungisi Cele reports on the Pretoria workshop.
A combination of seasoned shopstewards and young shopstewards came from companies like Nissan and BMW.
Both young and old shopstewards approached issues with great enthusiasm, and agreed that some elements in the agreement have long passed their sell-by date.
The workshop had to find a delicate balance between the caution of the old shopstewards and the acute need for change from the younger shopstewards.
Whilst older shopstewards were worried about the ten year ceiling on experience when calculating the separation allowance, younger comrades felt strongly that any transfer of an employee should be preceded by training.
Everyone agreed that workers got the short end of the stick when the no-further claims clause found its way into the agreement. There was no doubt in the minds of all the participants that the negotiators will have to work very hard to find an agreement with the bosses that will take the sting out of it.