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

Vote taken to gazette the 2017-2010 Main Agreement

18 May 2018

Members may have seen an email doing the rounds sent out by SEIFSA regarding the gazettal and extension of their settlement agreement with the unions.  Unfortunately, SEIFSA is being economical with the truth. 

What they don’t tell you here is that in terms of section 32(1), the employer associations who have a seat on the MEIBC and vote for the agreement to be given to the Minister for extension, have to represent the majority of employees of all the employer associations on the MEIBC. 

SAEFA Wage Increase Recommendation 1 July 2018

15 May 2018

Following the last meeting of the SA Engineers and Founders Association of 17 April 2018, please find below a recommendation on this year’s wage increases for scheduled staff for your attention.

Wage Increase Recommendation - 1 July 2018

 

US Steel Tariffs - Clarification

4 May 2018

Further to our communication to you of 12 March 2018, please see the media statement released by the Department of Trade and Industry on the Section 232 duties implemented by the United States on steel and aluminium products:
 
http://www.dti.gov.za/editmedia.jsp?id=4423
 
Members are advised to take particular note of the advice issued by the DTI:
 
“In the meantime, Department of Trade and Industry encourages the domestic exporters to engage their US buyers to consider applying for product exemption under a process conducted by the US Commerce Department for products.”

Retrenchment Workshop - 17 May 2018

25 April 2018

Are You Having to Consider Short-Time, Lay-Offs or Retrenchments in 2018?

2017 was an exceptionally difficult year for employers.  The commodities slump of a few years ago, felt particularly hard in the metal sector, has led to slower economic growth and many companies have had to sprint just to stand still.  The forecast for 2018 is unfortunately no better and for many companies, this means that short-time, lay-offs and even retrenchments may need to be considered as means of survival. 

Legislation regulating these processes requires that specific procedures be adhered to.  These legal requirements can often prove daunting to employers, particularly those who have never implemented short-time, lay-offs or retrenchments before or who have not had to for some time.

The South African Engineers’ and Founders’ Association, in association with Gordon Angus and Associates is running a half day workshop to guide employers through the legislative requirements of the Labour Relations Act and other applicable laws.