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

Message from the SAEFA Chairman

The SA Engineers and Founders Association is extremely pleased to have seen, and been part of, the great turnout at the public marches on Friday 7th April in support of removing President Zuma and ending the rampant corruption that is crippling SA.


All of us as South Africans have to stand together and show that we will no longer tolerate what has been done to us a country by those who were elected to be the custodians thereof.


We urge all businesses owners, managers, employees and every single SA citizen who desperately wants a better country to keep up with public activism in every way possible, and to drive and be the change we all want and need.


SA Engineers and Founders is committed to this essential movement, and extends an open invitation to collaboration with all other like-minded patriots.

Ross Williams
Chairman
The South African Engineers and Founders Association

The Latest SAEFA Retrenchment Workshop - 8 May 2017

Are You Considering Implementing Short-Time, Lay-Offs or Retrenchments in 2017?

The past ten days have, once again, rocked the South African economy. After a difficult 2015 when the commodities slump, felt particularly hard in the metal sector, led to slower economic growth, many companies had to sprint just to stand still. Then came the firing of then Finance Minister Nene and now the firing of ex-Finance Minister Gordhan. The forecast for the rest of 2017 is dire 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 workshop to guide employers through the legislative requirements of the Labour Relations Act as well as the industry’s Collective Main Agreement with regard to implementing short-time, lay-offs and retrenchments.

PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE SA ENGINEERS AND FOUNDERS ASSOCIATION IN RELATION TO PRESIDENT ZUMA’S CABINET RE-SHUFFLE

The SA Engineers and Founders Association, an employer organisation representing over 450 companies and 35,000 employees in the critical Metal Industry voices its strong disapproval of the latest Cabinet re-shuffle by President Zuma, in particular the firing of Minister Gordhan and Deputy Minister Jonas, formerly of the Treasury. This, while Ministers Bathabile Dlamini and Faith Muthambi, both of whom have presided over calamitous performances in their respective Ministries, have remained untouched.

The latest SAEFA Workshop: Workplace Discipline - Getting It Right, From Counselling to Dismissals

Avoid the mistakes which could potentially cost your business hundreds of thousands of Rands.

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.  As an employer, there is nothing more frustrating than having to compensate or reinstate an employee who has broken your rules.  The key to successful workplace discipline starts with understanding the principles of progressive discipline and ensuring you know the procedural requirements to ensure fairness. 

All too often, employers are ill prepared when taking disciplinary action against troublesome employees, particularly when it comes to conducting disciplinary enquiries.  Even if you have experienced expert consultants available to chair such enquiries, things will not go your way unless you prepare thoroughly and present a well prepared, structured case to maximize your chances of success.