METALS AND ENGINEERING
Numsa expects steel talks to be a test of state’s resolve
SA’s largest private-sector union demands further protection for the sector hit by huge job losses
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) expects unusually difficult wage talks in SA’s embattled steel and engineering sector in 2017. SA’s largest private-sector union said on Monday it expected to test the government’s resolve in protecting the industrial sector, demanding further protection for a sector that has shed 30,000 jobs since 2015. The union is expected to push for a wage hike of up to 20% during talks scheduled to begin in May. It said it would lobby and launch rolling mass action to push the government into adopting additional protectionist measures for the sector. The metals and engineering sector covers about 300,000 employees, representing about 1.1% of GDP, with large downstream linkages. Since the 2014 wage talks SA’s second-largest producer, Evraz Highveld, has applied for business rescue. Scaw Metals, Cape Gate, Macsteel and Aveng Steel have retrenched staff. Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said if ArcelorMittal SA’s push for antidumping duties did no...
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