Johannesburg – The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has successfully negotiated with Bell Equipment to make more than 100 workers permanent employees.
NUMSA on Friday said it welcomes the agreement with the management of Bell Equipment.
“It has been agreed that those workers who have been exploited by labour brokers for more than 10 years, will be made permanent employees with immediate effect,” the union said.
“The impact of this agreement is that over one hundred workers will be made permanent employees by the end of this month.
“These workers will 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.”
NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim said workers who fall under labour brokers earn half of what permanent employees earn.
He said they operate on a month-to-month contract.
“This means they are unable to get access to basic financial services like, home loans, vehicle financing, and even cell phone contracts,” said Jim.
“This agreement means that they will receive medical aid and an improved provident fund.
“This will fundamentally 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 is an important achievement for the union.”
Jim said the conciliation process at Bell continues because all the other demands which workers made, will be discussed by the executive management at a board meeting which will take place next month on 15 August 2023.
“The bosses made a commitment to the commissioner of the Metals and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) who is responsible for chairing the conciliation process that they will meet for another engagement with the union on the 16th of August to give feedback on these demands,” Jim said.
The demands which NUMSA made are:
- Housing allowance of R2 000
- Transport allowance of R1 000
- All workers must benefit from the profit share scheme, and for the purposes of this round of negotiations, workers are demanding R2000 each, untaxed, as a bonus payment.
- The insourcing of workers who remain exploited by labour brokers and the process to make them permanent as well.
- The company must pay for transport for workers when they attend funerals of co-workers.
“We call on the management to put a meaningful offer on the table because, as things stand, the dispute remains active, which means, if workers are not happy with the offer, they can still resort to a strike,” said Jim.
“We want to thank workers at Bell for their bravery and for being resolute about their demands.
“They are willing to sacrifice salaries through strike action, in order that other workers can have improved conditions and this is truly revolutionary.”
The law states that workers can only be employed through labour brokers for three months – a victory secured by NUMSA at the constitutional court in 2018.
“When workers are united they are a powerful unstoppable force which can transform society for the better,” said Jim.
“We must also thank NUMSA officials and shop stewards for their tireless efforts in resolving this labour crisis.
“We will continue to monitor this situation in order to ensure that workers get what has been promised to them.
“We call on all workers to unite behind the banner of NUMSA so that they can experience better benefits and conditions because NUMSA changes the lives of the working class for the better.”
