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

Socio-Economic Protest Action 7 October 2022

3 October 2022

Please see the attached below a S77(1)(d) notice by COSATU, which is based on the 2017 notice on economic crisis.  According to the notice, COSATU will embark on protest marches and pickets on 7 October 2022. The notices comply with the requirements of the LRA and the protest action will be protected.  This means that any employee that chooses to participate in the industrial action may not be disciplined for doing so, but the principle of no work, no pay will apply.  Also, employees who participate are not entitled to accumulate a shift for Leave Pay and Leave Enhancement Pay purposes.

COSATU Notice to Nedlac of Intention to Proceed with Protest Action

SAEFA Submissions to the Ministers of Employment and Labour and Small Business Development

14 September 2022

Please find below the submissions made by SAEFA to the Minister of Employment and Labour and the Minister of Small Business Development to resist the extension of the Main Agreement.  Attached to the submission sent to the Minister of Employment and Labour were individual letters from 44 members.  To all of you who made submissions, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude.

I would also like to encourage you all to send these letters to business colleagues who you feel may have an interest in this critical issue.  The Minister of Employment and Labour will now take a decision as to whether or not to extend the Main Agreement.  SAEFA (and others) are, as you are also aware, continuing with our application for leave to appeal the order of the Labour Court to deny our interdicting of the extension request.   

SAEFA Appeal to the Minister of Small Business Development September 2022

SAEFA Submission to Minister of Employment and Labour 12 September 2022

Labour court dismisses NEASA and SAEFA challenge against extension of the main agreement with costs

31 August 2022

We are extremely perturbed to report that the Labour Court has dismissed our challenge against the extension of the Main Agreement.  The judgment, handed down earlier today, is attached below for your attention.  As expected, the parties to the Main Agreement have been very quick to criticise our attempts to stop the extension of the employer-hostile dispensation, relying mainly on the flawed argument that it would be unfair to allow differences in terms and conditions of employment at different businesses.  So cash-flush employers shouldn’t have to compete with cash-strapped employers on wages?  Even though they can freely compete in almost all other areas, from buying power to geographical location, etc.?

All of this in a country with an unemployment rate nearing 50%.  Needless to say, SAEFA will continue to fight the extension of the Main Agreement.   

Court Order dated 2022-08-31

SAFTU Section 77 Notice to strike across all 9 provinces

16 August 2022

Please see the below notice of intention to embark on protest action by SAFTU in “defence and promotion of socio-economic interests of workers and the working class in general”.

The section 77(1)(d) notice dated 8 August 2022 is pursuant to a 2020 section 77(1)(b) notice and a Nedlac certificate issued on 13 April 2021. In terms of the Section 77(1)(d) notice, SAFTU intends to embark on protest action on the 23rd and 24th of August in all the nine provinces. The protest action will be protected, which means that the principle of no work, no pay will apply to all participants in the protest action, and no disciplinary action may be taken against those that choose to participate. 

Nedlac S77 Certificate to SAFTU signed

SAFTU Section77 (1) (d) form(2) INTENTION TO STRIKE NOTICE 24 AUGUST 2022