ENGINEERINGEngineering – What will be your wage increase this year?Mealie meal up 22% – rice up 24% – milk up 32% – vegetable oil up 52% – CPI-X above 10%.We are all reeling from these massive increases.

But Numsa's engineering sector coordinator, Thulani Mthiyane, and his negotiating team are grappling with a different problem.How do they secure a wage increase for engineering workers this year that will match these abnormal price increases? Parties have already agreed last year that the wage increase from July 1 this year is 7,1% for Rate A and 8,1% for Rate H."It's an emergency situation," says Numsa's Ekurhuleni bargaining representative, Stanford Ndobo.

When Numsa signed the three year engineering agreement last year, "we did not know that prices were going to shoot up as they have," says Mthiyane. Mthiyane has already written a letter to Seifsa asking them on moral grounds to consider giving an extra increase. Efforts are continuing. Get updates from your shop steward.

Ukukhushulwa kwamaholo kwango-2008Izingxoxo ezibucayi ziyaqhubeka maqondana nokukhuphula amaholo abasebenzi bezobunjiniyela kusukela ngomhla ka-1 Julayi 2008. Ngokwesivumelwano, abaqashi kumele bakhokhe u-8,1% kuphela wokukhuphula iholo lamazinga aphansi kakhulu kanye no-7,1% wokukhuphula amazinga aphezulu kakhulu.

Kodwa amanani entengo okudla, izithuthi kanye namandla kagesi ayakhuphuka aya phezulu. Omele izingxoxo zokuvumelana Ekurhuleni, uStanford Ndobo, ukubiza ngokuthi isimo esibucayi.Umxhumanisi wengxenye yeNumsa, uThulani Mthiyane, ubhalele i-Seifa ebacela ukuthi babengezele emalini yokukhuphula amaholo ngezizathu eziqotho.

2008 se loonverhogingDelikate onderhandelinge is tans aan die gang omtrent die loonverhoging vanaf 1 Julie 2008 vir werkers in die ingenieursbedryf. Ingevolge die ooreenkoms hoef werkgewers net 8,1% vir werkers op die laagste loongraad te betaal, en 7,1% vir diegene op die hoogste graad.

Maar die prys van voedsel, vervoer en energie skiet die hoogte in. Stanford Ndobo, die bedingingsverteenwoordiger in Ekurhuleni, noem dit ‘n noodsituasie. Numsa se sektorkoördineerder, Thulani Mthiyane, het aan Seifsa geskryf om hulle te vra om op morele gronde ‘n ekstra verhoging toe te staan.

Nyollo ya moputso ya 2008Ditherisano tse matla di ntse di tswela pele mabapi le nyollo ya meputso bakeng sa basebetsi ba enjinere ho tloha ka la 1 Phupu 2008. Ka ho ya ka tumellano, boramesebetsi ba lokela ho lefa feela nyollo ya 8,1% bakeng sa kereiti e tlasetlase le 7,1% bakeng sa kereiti e hodimodimo.

Empa theko tsa dijo, transporoto le motlakase di ya hodimo ka tsela e makatsang. Moemedi wa ditherisanong tse kopanetsweng mane Ekurhuleni, Stanford Ndobo, o bitsa hona boemo ba tshohanyetso. Mohokahanyi wa karolo ya Numsa, Thulani Mthiyane o ngolletse Seifsa a ba kopa hore ba fane ka nyollo e ekeditsweng jwalo ka mokgwa wa tshebedisano e ntle.

Tracking those outstanding issuesNumsa News spoke to Thulani Mthiyane, Numsa's engineering sector coordinator, to find out how far the collapsing of Grade H and G into F has gone.

When are you expecting to finalise this issue?We hope to finalise it before the July 1 2008 increase.

How is the process going?We have had two meetings to deal with this matter and other outstanding demands. This is not going to be an easy process that will be resolved without a strike. There are a number of challenges that need to be dealt with.

What are these challenges?One is the skills gap between workers in these three grades.Two is the different tasks that are performed by workers in different divisions and schedules in these grades.

Three is the demand by our members in grade F to be moved to higher grades if Grade G and H are moved into their grade.Four is our demand for 60% benchmarking with artisan rate and 10% differentials between the grades.

Five is the monitoring and encouragement of training of workers in grade G and H.However, possibly the biggest challenge is whether we can mobilise all workers across different grades to support industrial action that will only really benefit grade H and G workers.

Have you reached any agreement?Parties have agreed (subject to approval by their constituencies) to utilize work that has been done around the five grade structure as a building block towards a new compulsory grading structure in the industry.

Parties have also agreed that there will be two grades above the highest grade (grade 5) to accommodate workers who want to develop themselves above Artisan grade.* grade 1 should accommodate workers from grade H, G and F and the minimum rate should be not less than the current minimum rate of F.

* Workers who possess grade 1 skills should not be paid less than the current grade F minimum.* those workers who will need to acquire more skills before they are fully competent in grade 1 will remain in their current rate until they have acquired all the relevant skills for grade 1.

Workers will be fast-tracked through training to close skill gaps. In grade 1 there will be three levels of payment – entry level, middle point and maximum level.

What is meant by entry rate?The employers demand that there should be an entry rate. We have agreed to this demand provided it is a time-based entry rate that will prepare workers for grade 1 and the period should not be longer than six months or one year.

Where is the process now?Members must discuss these proposals. Only when our constitutional structures have endorsed them will they become our formal position that could lead to an agreement. The same thing applies to employers. They have not committed themselves to anything until they have discussed the same with their constituencies.

Ukufa kwamaZinga G no-H aba u-FIzinyunyana zohwebo zibambe imihlangano nabaqashi ngalolu daba okungakabhekwana nalo. Isiphakamiso ukuthi kube namazinga amathathu ezingeni eliphansi.

INumsa iphakamisa ukuthi izinga eliholelwa kancane kakhulu kube ngelabasebenzi abasha abangenayo enkampanini uma kungukuthi ukungena okuncike esikhathini okuzolungisa abasebenzi beZinga 1 futhi isikhathi akufanele sibe side kunezinyanga eziyisithupha noma nonyaka owodwa.

Umxhumanisi weNumsa wengxenye yezobunjiniyela ukhuthaza amalungu ukuthi axoxe ngalesi siphakamiso kanye nezinye izinkinga akazibonayo – ukuthi abaqashi angeke bavuma ngaphandle uma kuzoba nesiteleka. Uma futhi kuzoba nesiteleka, ingabe bonke abasebenzi bazimisele yini ukubeka amathuluzi phansi ngento ezosiza abasebenzi beZinga G no-H kuphela?

Saamvoeging van Grade G en H in FVakbonde het met werkgewers vergader om hierdie uitstaande kwessie te bepreek.Die voorstel is om drie vlakke in die laagste graad te hê.

Numsa het voorgestel dat die laags betaalde vlak vir nuwe werkers geld, solank dit ‘n tydsgebaseerde intreevlak is wat werkers op Graad 1 voorberei, en dat die tydperk nie langer as 6 maande of ‘n jaar moet wees nie.

Numsa se koödineerder in die ingenieursektor vra dat lede hierdie voorstel bespreek, asook die ander probleme wat hy in die vooruitsig stel – dat werkgewers waarskynlik nie gaan instem tensy daar ‘n staking is nie. En is al die werkers bereid om te staak oor iets wat net die werkers op Grade G en H affekteer?

Ho kopanya Dikereiti tsa G le H ho ba FDiyunione di ile tsa ba le dikopano le boramesebetsi mabapi le taba ena e salletseng morao.Tshisinyo e bile ya hore ho be le maemo a mararo kereiting e tlase.

Numsa e sisintse hore boemo o tlase bo lefellwang e lokela ho ba ba bao ba sa tswa kena ha fela bo tla ba le reiti e tla ya ka nako mme e lokisetsa basebetsi bakeng sa kereiti ya 1 mme ako ha ya tshwanela ho ba ka hodimo ho dikgwedi tse tsheletseng kapa selemo se le seng.

Mohokahanyi wa karolo ya boenjinere ya Numsa o ipiletsa ho ditho ho buisana ka tshisinyo ena le ka mathata a mang ao a bonang e ka a tla hlahella – a hore boramesebetsi ba ka nna ba se dumele ntle le hore ho be le seteraeke.

Mme ha ho ka ba le seteraeke, na basebetsi bohle ba ikemiseditse ho beha dithulusu fatshe bakeng sa ntho e tla tswela molemo basebetsi ba Kereiti ya G le ya H feela na?

Source

Numsa News