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 Advisory No. 24 - What to do now

1 March 2018

In our first News Brief of 2018, we informed members that to date there has been no further movement with regard to an industry-wide agreement on wages and conditions of employment.  However, at a recent bargaining council meeting, SEIFSA confirmed that the drafting of the settlement agreement reached between them and the trade unions has been completed.  We have been reliably informed that SEIFSA and NUMSA have joined forces in appointing a legal team in an attempt to have their settlement agreement extended to the rest of the industry against our will.  The SA Engineers and Founders Association will continue to vigorously oppose any such attempt.
 
Whilst these events are unfolding, we recommend that, from 1st of July 2018, members implement wage increases that you believe are fair for your scheduled staff.
 
We further recommend that members implement the following new entrant wage structure of R30.00 / hr at the lowest Grade:

Global Business Solutions Conference: The Future Workplace 8 March 2018

28 February 2018

We are pleased to announce that members of the SA Engineers and Founders Association have been offered a 15% discount on the 2018 Employment Law Conference, presented by Global Business Solutions.
 
Members wanting to attend are requested to indicate that they are SAEFA members on the box “How did you find out about this Course”, or advise Global Business Solutions telephonically, to qualify for this discount.
 
In the marketplace of the 21st century, traditional employment is evolving.  Increasingly, organisations, and individuals, are choosing diverse forms of employment- be it in the form of contracting, freelancing, part-time employment or those placed by third parties.  The emergence of the so-called “gig-economy” where temporary positions are common and organisations contract with independent workers for a short-term engagement (a gig), translates into an increasingly dynamic workforce.

Member Survey Feedback & Testimonial from Wahl Industries

19 February 2018

We were told to expect a response rate of around 15% when embarking on our member survey - having an active membership on board meant that we almost had double the figure. Thank you to all those who completed the questionnaire.
 
The results from the survey are important as they not only ensure that the Exco is aligned with the membership but also assist in setting objectives for the year ahead. This exercise will be done annually so that we compare progress against the current benchmark.
 
The responses are available to members on request. It is reassuring to see how unanimous the support is from the respondents, both for the current Exco team and for the road that the SA Engineers and Founders has taken. We remain proud of the fact that we are an employer’s association run by employers, for employers.

The Unemployment Crisis in the Metal Industry - Presentation on 5 March 2018 @ 17h00

9 February 2018

The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), an independent policy research organisation and South Africa’s leading policy development think tank, has recently released a report entitled Youth Unemployment: An agenda for action (see the full report on www.cde.org.za).

Some of the facts highlighted in this report are:

  • Youth unemployment is the country's most pressing socio-economic crisis and its most important challenge. At the end of 2016, about 7.5 million young people were not in employment, education or training.
  • South Africa produces far more job-seekers each year than there are entry-level jobs.
  • Current labour laws often make it impossible for young work seekers to offer their labour to employers at a discount to more experienced workers.
  • Current labour practices also tend to raise the cost of employment by creating wage-setting mechanims that raie wages higher than productivity levels.
  • Thus, labour market policy reforms that would increae the rate at which new jobs are created or which slow down the rate at which existing job are destroyed, are urgently needed.