Breakthrough for motor workers on surplus
Sam Tsiane
Jerry Msibi, a Numsa trustee of the provident and pension funds in the motor sector is very excited about the surplus declaration in the scheme.
After the Fund’s actuaries did an evaluation on the state of health of the schemes, parties agreed that a surplus of R524m be declared on the Autoworkers Pension Fund and R277m on the Autoworkers Provident Fund.
“However, as Numsa we have also requested our own independent actuaries to give a second opinion on the matter,” Msibi said. “Although we don’t think they will give a different opinion, we are now setting out the process of paying that surplus out,” Msibi said.
What is left is to elect a trustee who will represent members who have left the Fund in terms of the Pension Funds Amendment Act.
Once the trustee has been elected we will appoint a company which will be responsible for tracing all workers who were members of the schemes and thereafter the scheme will distribute the surplus.
Members who still belong to the Funds will not receive their surplus payment in cash. Instead the surplus owing to them will be added to their share of the Fund and they will get when they leave the industry.
The Autoworkers Pension Fund contribution was 3% until 1996 while in other schemes the contribution was 7% for employees and 7% for employers.
The implication is that members may not necessarily receive huge sums of money. Nonetheless in the next three months the scheme will be inviting former members to fill in the surplus application forms. Watch Numsa News for details.
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Auto employers squeeze component manufacturers
Sam Tsiane
The last six months the car seat manufacturing industry has been in turmoil.
Bader Sewing which supplies Audi Germany , Smart Car and Daewoo has lost the Daewoo and Smart contract because the rand has gained in value against the dollar.
“The company now wants to retrench more than 52 workers,” says Mpho Modimoeng, Rosslyn local organiser.
“We cannot afford to lose any more jobs,” she says. “It means more than 200 people will suffer.”
If children are younger than 14 years they will add a burden to the fiscals in that they will claim the child grant.
As if this was not enough, Lear Corporation, which supplies Daimler Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and BMW have also approached the union about restructuring negotiations.
“Management wants to reduce the wages and retrench because their competitor, Automotive Leather Corporation (ALC), has reduced workers’ wages and therefore offered a price cut to BMW and Daimler Chrysler,” says Sello Maluleka another Rosslyn local organiser.
“Management threatened to retrench everybody and rehire them at a much lower rate,” says ALC shop steward, Anna Thwane. Worsening the situation is the fact that ALC workers belong to three separate unions.
Gustav Meyer, manager of Trade and Industry South Africa , says that component manufacturers are under pressure internationally. “Every year they are expected to cut their prices by 10 to 15 percent.”
At a meeting of shop stewards from Bader, Lear, Aunde and ALC, shop stewards pledged to be more united and refused to compete against one another. The meeting said it would use all forms and methods to fight against this practice which included meeting with shop stewards in the auto sector, engaging the Motor Industry Development Council and raising the issue with the International Metalworkers Federation.
Where workers were forced to accept wage cuts, these should be applied equally to managers’ and directors’ salaries with their benefits being reduced by the same percentage as workers.
Noting that ATC employs 90% of its workers through labour brokers and Aunde 80%, the meeting committed the organisation to fighting to outlaw this by engaging with the company, bargaining council and in Nedlac.
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Recruitment
Jenny Grice and Fumanekile PhumaphI
Regions are busy recruiting new members across all of Numsa’s sectors.
In reports received at head office, regions and locals have recruited these numbers of workers since the beginning of the year:
Mpumalanga
431
Western Cape
519
Northern Cape
279
Wits Central West
131
Hlanganani
225
Spotlight on King Williamstown
In King William’s Town, the local started its campaign led by the local office bearers with strong assistance from the local organiser.
The team visited a number of workplaces and left forms with workers.
“Large establishments are well organised,” says local organiser, Tshete. “Our focus is now on garages, panel beating shops etc. These establishments employ three to 16 employees.”
Tshete says that in some workplaces workers earn more than the Motor Main Agreement and that “takes a lot of time and energy to recruit them.” “But we believe we are winning,” says Tshete.
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Reluctance of petrol attendants to join Numsa
I would like to add my concern about petrol attendants.
There are many petrol stations in South Africa but there are few petrol attendants who have joined the Union . Why? – Because they are influenced by the bosses at their workplace.
In motor we are trying to recruit others but the bosses have already influenced them. If you talk with members, they say, “No, I don’t know what you want because I get enough money from my boss.”
They forget about their future and forget about their past. They agree easily to all the things that the bosses say they must do.
They forget about the hard work and the role that the union has played in fighting for workers’ rights.
Amandla maqabane, ngawethu!
Samuel Fitshane Bellville Local