Welcome

South African Engineers’ and Founders’ Association

The SA Engineers and Founders Association (SAEFA) represents the interests of hundreds of member companies in the metal and engineering industry. These companies range in size from very small employers to large multinational organisations. SAEFA not only offers a wide range of direct services to member companies but also represents the interests of our members at both industry and national levels. 

SAEFA’s direct services to member companies, available at a reduced fee to these companies compared to what a non-member company would pay in the market, include assistance on all matters affecting the relationship between themselves and their employees/trade unions – for example:

  • Dispute resolution, conciliation, mediation and arbitration services 
  • Advice, assistance, consultancy and training on labour legislation, employment conditions and all other Industrial Relations matters
  • Assistance is also provided with health and safety matters, broad-based black economic empowerment, contract price adjustments and skills development through our affiliate organisations

For full information on these services contact SAEFA’s Executive Director, Gordon Angus, at gordon@saefa.co.za. 

SAEFA also represents the interests of our member companies in all industry negotiations with the industry’s trade unions, not only on wages and other conditions of employment but also on the industry’s benefit funds which provide benefits to employees such as pensions, permanent disability and sick pay benefits. SAEFA has its own seats at the MEIBC, participating directly in all activities there.

Being a member of SAEFA allows you to have a direct say in what happens in your industry.

 

News

Disciplinary issues? Attend our upcoming Workplace Discipline Workshop

11 March 2020

Section 185 of the Labour Relations Act gives all employees the right not to be unfairly dismissed yet many employers still make fundamental mistakes when taking corrective action against their employees.

The key to successful workplace discipline starts with understanding the principles of progressive discipline, thorough and effective preparation for disciplinary enquiries and ensuring you know the procedural requirements to ensure fairness. 

SAEFA, is presenting a full day workshop that will take you, step-by-step, through the disciplinary process and guide employers through the legislative requirements of the Labour Relations Act. 

See below for details:

Effective Discipline Workshop Flyer

Skills Development Update No. 1

9 March 2020

We have resolved to provide SAEFA members with a brief, easily-digestible summary of current developments in the sphere of skills development and are going to be sending out regular articles to keep members informed.  The aim of the articles is to cut through the noise, complexity and clouds of acronyms that often cause confusion. The focus will be on the key topics that will assist members to understand and access the skills development interventions that support their strategic objectives and enable them to benefit from merSETA funding available to facilitate their training activities.  Please see below the first article in the series, kindly written for us by skills development expert, Janet Lopes.

Skills Development Update No 1

Wage Negotiation Advisory No. 29 - SAEFA New Entrant Wage Structure Table

24 February 2020

As you are aware, SAEFA has successfully resisted numerous attempts by the trade unions and a minority of employer parties to extend the 2017 – 2020 Settlement Agreement on non-parties.  This has led to a situation where many of our members have been able to successfully arrest the haemorrhaging of jobs in their businesses, by implementing the SAEFA-led initiative of the introduction of a New Entrant Wage Structure.  Many of our members have done this with the full blessing of their existing staff, including shop stewards from various trade unions.

Following our Members meeting of 20 February 2020, we would like to remind you of the New Entrant Wage Structure, as proposed by us in the 2017 wage negotiations (attached).  Please share this information with any colleague that may need it in the industry – the more employers realise that they are no longer bound by unaffordable wage rates and terms and conditions of employment that are contrary to business growth (whilst still being fair on employees), the better.

SAEFA Wage Negotiation Advisory No 29

Get on top of your EEA obligations in 2020 - 5 February 2020

20 January 2020

The Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Thulas Nxesi, has recently expressed grave concerns about the rate of transformation in South African workplaces.  This concern has motivated him to fast track the amendment of the Employment Equity Act, saying that the amendment bill was submitted for parliamentary consideration during the last administration and that the amendments are at an advanced stage. These amendments signal a more aggressive approach to transformation which focus on enforcement measures and a new EEA 4 Form has consequently been gazetted and made effective from 8 August 2019.

It is essential for employers to familiarise themselves with the amendments to the Employment Equity Act, as failure to comply upon their enactment may result in gruelling labour inspector audits or hefty fines imposed by the Labour Court. 

Your latest Employment Equity Act returns have now been submitted, however there will now be an increased focus on companies’ employment equity plans, committees and meetings. To learn more about the Employment Equity Act and its impact on your business, book your place (see booking form below) on our training workshop, Effective Implementation of the Employment Equity Act being held on 5 February 2020.

Flyer and Booking Form