Companies rob workers of their benefits

Sam Tsiane

Across the country more than 1700 engineering companies out of nearly 5000 companies are behind in their payments of provident fund contributions.

In the Western Cape, Numsa members were so angry about this that about 200 of them marched to the Western Cape Engineering Bargaining Council (MEIBC) on February 11.

According to the leader of the march, Numsa regional organiser, Clement Herandien, companies owe the provident fund about R5m of workers' money. Workers are fed up because the MEIBC has not taken any action or they are slow to take action.

Numsa trustees of the engineering provident fund at their February meeting demanded a solution to the matter."About 75% of employers are paying the money in time," said MEIBC CEO, Alistair Smith. "About 25% are not.

We have already received a judgment (award) against some defaulting employers but the legal process takes a long time."Smith said that they were busy discussing the matter with the authorities to force them to attend to the matter as quickly as possible.

Herandien said that the challenge is that while there is a delay by the authorities, companies close down owing workers their provident fund money.

He urged shop stewards to check with the bargaining council on a monthly basis to see if their employers are sending their deductions to the council.

Prosecute this white collar criminal!

Peter Thobejane

Just a white collar criminal! That's what 100 Numsa members working for PCK Engineering in Meadowdale think of their employer. This is after they arrived on February 9 at their factory gates to find them locked and with new security.

The employer had applied for voluntary liquidation without telling them.Workers started to get suspicious when they were put on short time a few weeks before.

And when they phoned MIBFA (the provident fund) to check on their provident fund contributions, Mibfa advised them that the last contribution received from their employer was July 2008.

"He acted in a criminal manner by defrauding us of our contributions,” say PCK Engineering workers. “We are not animals. The employer must be traced and prosecuted for life because of his white collar crime activities.”PCK Engineering has long bothered Numsa.

Since 2008 the company has been avoiding setting up a meeting to introduce Numsa to it. It alleged that the membership forms submitted to the company were not clear enough to see who had applied to belong to Numsa.

Only when the local organiser hand-delivered these forms to the HR manager, did the company request Numsa to propose new dates for union introduction.

But the same day the letter was drafted to the company with new proposed dates, the letter could not go through. The fax and telephone lines were disconnected.

And now PCK Engineering is just a shell. During the weekend of February 7 the employer removed part of his machinery to an unknown place. Bitter workers say that those "who were not members of Numsa before the liquidation must not be assisted by Numsa.

They were spies of the employer who disappeared without informing us”.Meanwhile after the intervention of Numsa head office, a liquidator was appointed and approved by the Master of the Court to oversee the claims of individual employees.

Bad payers! Is your company in one of these lists?Firms that have been referred to arbitration or are waiting for Awards (judgments)Electro Welding, 47 Knight Road, KnightFlashing Executive Manufacturing, Atlas Industrial Park, BenoniI & L Electrical Manufacturing, 24 Robertson Street, KnightAries Tech CC, Unit 4A, Bolton Road, Benoni Powersheet Metal, cnr Lear and Butler Street, Nuffield, SpringsDresse International Incorporated, 57 Thembi Place Calderwood, Lonehill Pro-Pak, 4-5th Street, Wynberg, SandtonDouble Option Trading, 35 Industry Road, OlifantsfonteinRetek Vaal (Pty) Ltd , Cnr Jenner & Lister Street Vanderbijlpark Interroll SA (Pty) Ltd , Unit 2,37 Direct Road Sparton Pressure Advance Tech t/a Meyerton Armature Winders, 26 Albert Wessel Street Sybrand Van Niekerk Park Meyerton

Firms that did not honor the arbitration awardsAbacus Aluminum, Neave Industrial Park 7 Bennet Street Port Elizabeth 6020MS Labour Consultants, 24 Demist Circle, Bluewater Bay Port Elizabeth 6001Secure IT, 19 Templeton, Grahamstown 6140Remez Alarms Trust, 17 Davis Street Sid well, Port Elizabeth 6001Vula Amasango Engineering Services D & A Engineering, 9-11 Casely Street Sidwell, Port Elizabeth 6001Indicom Signs, 139 Burman Road Deal Party Port Elizabeth 6001Madiba ForkLifters, 11 Sebastian Street North End Port Elizabeth 6001Stephanus Andires, 9 Bell Street Uitenhage, 6230 Supreme Golf TEE cc, Portion No8, Leorie Heights, Leorie.6370Trial Rite Engineering Trust , 82-84 Baird Street Uitenhage, 6230 True Labour Concept, 28 Fowler Street Sid well, Port Elizabeth 6001P E Plant Machine cc, Block D, Comsec Building, Sydenham Port Elizabeth 6001 7 Geluk Street Despatch ,6230Leamer Steel Construction cc, Cnr Lister & Bell Street Uitenhage, 6229A E Wiring (Pty) Ltd , 90 Juta Road Sid well, Port Elizabeth 6001EL Palisades, shop 7 Arcadia Road GonubieSpring Forest cc, Building no 34 Magnolia Road East London Ciskei Wire Company (Pty) Ltd, Factory 27 Frame Park GonubieTuscan Mood 1157 cc, Site 62 Hadeda King Williams Town

Fund Arbitration Awards /Judgment Top Tech Engineering, Assessment-Funds/WagesZenco Engineering, Assessment-Funds/WagesC Systems t/a Turbo Air, Assessment-Funds/WagesZestcor Foundaries (Pty) Ltd , Assessment- Funds/WagesKIEDCO Beleggings T/A DoorWin, Assessment-Funds/WagesD Hydraulic Centre , Assessment-Funds/WagesKuruman Staal, Assessment-Funds/WagesPCR LABOUR Consultants & Labour Hire, Assessment-Funds/WagesZestcor Seventeen, Underpayment of Wages N C Steel & Fence T./A W J Services , Assessment-Funds/Wages

Outstanding Awards and Arbitration/ JudgmentBravo Engineering Services cc, Unit 4 VAP Industrial Complex, Hills Road Selection Park Ru Vis Hydraulics & Fabrication cc, 77 Cypress Drive West MeyertonExys Security Systems , 160 Witch Hazel Ave Techno Park HighVeld Centurion Trebkor Electronics cc , 70-10th Street Moreletta ParkJan Claasens cc, 11 Tinus Barnard Street Duncanville VereenigingDesign-Tek, 47 Ilan Street Delville GermistonEsad Electronics cc t/a GC Electronics, 99 Cranbourne Street BenoniFabricated Fitting & Pipes (Pty) Ltd, 523 Commissioner Street Boksburg EastGauteng Electrical Forklift Specialists cc, Unit 16 Wall’s Mini Factories, Benoni South K M C Invest 41 cc t/a Gemini SA , Cnr 3rd & 11th Road Kew L J C Steel Projects cc, 24 Jones Road Jet Park Boksburg Munters (Pty) Ltd, 22 Angus Crescent Long Meadow East Modderfontein Whyte’s Engineering cc, Shop 104, Phoenix Road Selection Park , Spring Windorhyper & Metal Pressing, 18 Lorna Road Munwelldale Boksburg North Makubela & Elmetron Industries cc, 1 Popular Street Doornpoort PretoriaL S W Insulation cc, 9-14 & 10 Mini Factories Benoni, Industrial SitesLeo Engineering , 13 Abkins Street Industrial East GermistonQ P Transformers & Electrical Motors cc, 3 Louis Trichart Street Alberton North M V S Construction & Erection Services cc, Impala Platinum Mine Springs M C Fencing , 61 All Black Street Anderbolt, Boksburg Whitehouse Projects (Pty) Ltd , 217 Main Road Andebolt, BoksburgJ M B Staalwerke cc, Plot 121 Boltonworld D Cooper Coro of SA (Edns) Bpk, 339 Koos Delarey Street Pretoria Noord Donald Sutherland Engineering t/a Triston Ruber, Unit 6.,92 Butler Roads Nuffield , Springs Myka Trade 176 cc t/a J&B Engineering , 7 Forge Roads SpartanC d r Contracts (Pty) Ltd, 14 Voortrekker Avenue Edenvale Genrigg, 490 Tedstone Road Lothlorein Industrial ParkTriplicon Construction cc, 6 Union street Alberton North AlbertonPectra Makers, 139-3rd Street Industrial Park Garankuwa P C S Décor , Unit 2 Anvil Park Craig Street Anderbolt BoksburgStrocam Mining Services (Pty) Ltd , 4 Nut Avenue Olifantsfontein Strauss Engineering , Cnr Argon & Vlakfontein Roads Management Air Conditioning , 173 Rietfontein Primrose E T M Services c , 11B Riley road Bedfordview Perfect Appliances Distributors, 146 Albert Street City & Suburb Nelesco 710 (Pty) Ltd, 6 Hennie Alberts Street Alrode South Edcar Corrosion Protection, 13 Blesboklaagte Kliprivier Lebalele ILanga, 60 Delvos Blvd Vanderbijlpark J W L Mining Spares & Sales cc, 5 Gail Park Patrick Road Jet Park Rand Instruments (Pty) Ltd, 3 Neon Road Fulcrum SpringsB J Power Coaters, 25 Falcon Ridge Vereeniging Bucket Builders cc, Klip Retirement Village Meyerton Refense Civils & Admin (Pty) Ltd, 22 Boundry Road Brakpan Pyramid Gears cc, 37 Moorwe Avenue Benoni South Howard Farms cc, CNR North & High Roads Eastleigh, AECI ModderfonteinDash Engineering & Suppliers cc , Cnr King & Spence street Duncanville Schaunburg flexadux (Pty) Ltd, 24/26 Platima Crescent New Era Ext 1 East Rand Cranes (Pty) Ltd , 15 Platima Crescent New Era Ext1 Springs Davron Precision Engineering cc, Unit 11, 25 Ingwe SebenzaFuel Equipment Marketing Services (Pty)Ltd, 43 Ingwe Sebenza Edenvale Inkwaki Engineering , Unit 5 Cnr Venda & Mopedi Sebenza Edenvale And’s WELDING Works , 130 Terreca Road Sebenza EdenvaleAnrue Machinery (Pty) Ltd, 21 Forge Road Spartan Advance Ideas (Pty) Ltd, 17 Engwena Road Sebenza EdenvaleDynamic Balancing, 20 Plantation SpartanDynamic Options , CNR Orange Rivier & Zuurfomtein Road Chloorkop Edenvale AV Electronics (Pty) Ltd, 49 Linkfield Road DowerglenC A Engineering , 37 Park Street Jeppestown Frankron Engineering (Pty) Ltd , 4 Tsaka Road Sebenza EdenvaleCC Trade 89 (Pty) Ltd , Unit 4 Pinehurst 69 Loper Avenue AeroportInd Eastate Eagleguest Trading 66 (Pty) Ltd t/a Louwmag Engineering , Shop 2 Wolfram Street Vanderbijlpark C V C Engineering , 231 Road Street Wynberg Continuous Air-conditioning Refrigerator, 80 Merz Street HiedelburgConsolidated Water Condition (Pty) Ltd, 8 Lane Street Knights Germiston Iyabantu Air (Pty) Ltd, Winnipeg Ave Spartan Ext 2 KemptonparkDaewoo Heavy Industries SA(Pty)Ltd, 78 Rigger ROAD kempton Park Uniserv (Pty) Ltd, 2nd Floor Mani Building Cnr Quality & Ind Road Isando Standby Engineering Services (Pty) Ltd, 81-5th Street Voorsterkroon NigelInso Aluminium cc, 2 Jurie Street Alrode Alberton Innovative Technology (Pty) Ltd , 48 Forge Road Spartan KemptonparkCape Gate (Pty) Ltd, Nobel Boulevard VanderbijlparkVan Den Erectors cc, 16 Nelson Street ElburgRobus Industrial cc, 32 Forge Road Spartan Kempton park F D Clarke& Company (Pty) Ltd, 426 Main Reef Road Denver

Important: If you work near these companies, go to the workers and tell them about their provident fund monies and if they are not Numsa members, join them up so that Numsa can help them fight to get their benefits!

Protect yourself:Check your payslip to see if your employer is deducting money from you for UIF and provident fund? Keep all your payslips showing this.Phone the provident fund to check if your employer is paying across these monies to it.

(If you belong to the Metal Industries Provident Fund phone MIBFA 011-870 2000 (engineering) or if you belong to the Auto Workers Provident Fund (motor) phone MICFA on 011 369 7500 – have your ID number ready). Contact your nearest Numsa office if there is any problem.
 

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