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

Wage Negotiation Update No 28

10 April 2019

Parties to the MEIBC met today following the MEIBC Management Committee (Manco) meeting of Tuesday, 26 March where it was resolved that Main Agreement negotiations would continue.  The meeting was facilitated by Commissioner Mapelo Tsatsimpe from the CCMA, who opened by stating that she had been briefed by the MEIBC.  SAEFA nevertheless suggested that the parties be given an opportunity to caucus with her separately, so as to ensure that she has a proper understanding of the history and events that have led to the current situation plaguing the MEIBC and the industry.

We then broke for caucus and explained our position to the Commissioner, who responded by informing us that she now realised that she had not been told the background facts which had led to the current impasse. 

Main Agreement Negotiations set to continue on 10 April 2019

29 March 2019

We had previously updated members that the Labour Court had found that the attempt to extend the Admin Agreement was unlawful and had been set aside.  We further informed members that SEIFSA and the trade unions had attempted to extend the Main Agreement in the same way.  The Court’s reasoning is clear and unequivocal, and this resulted in the trade unions finally accepting that they had to return to the negotiating table – something which we had been telling them to do since August 2017.  Unfortunately, the trade unions responded by rejecting SAEFA’s proposals for a new entrant wage rate and for increases to be given on minimums (amongst other proposals) and so SAEFA declared a dispute against the trade unions.

In terms of the MEIBC Constitution, the dispute necessitated a convening of a Special Management Committee (Manco) meeting within 14 days.  The Manco met on Tuesday, 26 March in order to decide how the dispute must be resolved, by choosing one of four options:

The Setting Aside of the Registration and Administration Expenses Collective Agreement

25 March 2019

On 28 November 2018 the request to extend the Registration and Administration Expenses Collective Agreement  was set aside by the Labour Court. The judge stated that the reasons given for his decision would be given at a later date.

On 15th March 2019, the reasons for the order were received and have been attached for your reference.

In summary, the judge held that the vote to request the Minister of Labour to extend the agreement to non-parties was taken at a meeting convened outside of the constitution of the MEIBC and is therefore invalid.  The SEIFSA-affiliated associations who do not have representation on the various MEIBC structures are not permitted to take part in decision-making processes of the council and therefore should not have been allowed to vote in the meeting held on 4th September 2018.

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