Numsa said on Friday it had come to an agreement with Bell Equipment to employ 100 people on a permanent basis who have been working under labour brokers for the past 10 years.
THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said on Friday it had come to an agreement with Bell Equipment to employ 100 people on a permanent basis who have been working under labour brokers for the past 10 years.
Earlier this week, the union threatened to go on strike as talks with Bell Equipment deadlocked. The company’s use of labour brokers was one of the issues of contention.
The union demands a housing allowance of R2 000, a transport allowance of R1 000, a profit share scheme for all workers, and for this round of negotiations, workers are demanding R2 000 each, untaxed, as a bonus payment.
In a statement, the union said the 100 workers would be eligible for the same benefits and pay as other permanent workers at Bell.
"Our members were on the verge of a strike at Bell Equipment and we have deadlocked with the company over the non-payment of bonuses and the exploitation of workers through labour brokers,“ it said.
According to the union, workers who fell under labour brokers earned almost half of what permanent employees earned. They also operated on a month-to-month contract and this meant they were unable to get access to basic financial services like home loans, vehicle financing, and even cellphone contracts.
“This agreement means they will receive medical aid and an improved provident fund. This will change the lives of these workers by upgrading and improving their quality of life. They now have job security and they will be able to raise their families with dignity. This an important achievement for the union,” it said.
Numsa said the conciliation process at Bell continued because all the other demands which workers made would be discussed by the executive management at a board meeting on August 15.
The union said the Metals and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council would give them feedback on the demands in August. 16.
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