Talks between the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of SA (Seifsa) will resume this afternoon in an attempt to end the strike in the metal and engineering sector, after both parties could not meet the deadline on Tuesday due to their respective internal mandating processes.
Lucio Trentini, Seifsa's operations director, told I-Net Bridge/BusinessLIVE on Thursday that both parties would meet at 14:00, along with the Metal Engineering Industries Bargaining Council. The meeting would consider proposals by the council.
“Depending on the productivity of our meeting with Numsa, we would then have another meeting at 15:00 where the Metal and Electrical Workers' Union, the SA Equity Workers' Association and Solidarity would be present. Additional employer bodies would be present,” Trentini said.
The strike began on July 4 when Numsa and related unions announced that members would embark on rolling mass action in demand of a 13% salary increase.
Employers in the sector had offered 7%. - I-Net Bridge