Education – Main Agreement training

Shahida MeniersThe redesign of the Motor and Engineering Main Agreements took place in March this year with the vision to pilot shortly after the National Elections day on 22 April 2009.With all the activities within Numsa, the pilot could not take place in April and only happened in June 2009.

With the materials looking fine after piloting, the books were printed and all regions planned their workshops from July onwards.Unfortunately, things did not run as smoothly as planned.

The regions with “rural locals” and “rural towns” got a set back when they were told that there would be no “residential workshops” – meaning that shopstewards could not be booked in for accommodation when we run these workshops.

Educators had to run the workshops from town-to-town which could be anything from 10, 15 or 20 shopstewards per workshop.Luckily, some shopstewards and even scholars (Danielle Olivier!) are still eager to attend, even if it means sacrificing their weekends!

Competition winners for the MEIBC/Juta handbookThis problem stumped many of you! Congratulations to Patrick Mohlala, Tembisa and David Mathala, Kyalama – you are the lucky winners of the MEIBC/Juta handbook of the Engineering Main Agreement. Your books are in the post.

The question was:A Rate (A) worker at Steel Pipes (registered company at the Engineering Bargaining Council – MEIBC) started to work at the company on Monday 2 February 2009. His last working day at the company was Friday 28 August 2009.

He did not take any leave during the period he was employed at Steel Pipes and worked a 5-day week. His hourly rate was R42.34.Calculate how much leave pay was due to the worker on 28 August 2009.

The correct answer was R3256.92. The way to work it out is as follows:

R42.34ph X 40hour week = R1693.60R1693.60 X 3 (weeks) X number of shifts he worked (150) / 234 shifts = R3256.92

Competition winnersIn Numsa News No 2 2009, we ran a blockbuster but with the change in editors, we forgot to announce the winners of the double CD of Bongani Tulwana. The lucky winners are Chris Motau from Witbank and Maria Nhlapo from Isando. Cogratulations, your prizes are in the post.

Fixing up Numsa’s membership system

Dear Comrades,Just a big THANK YOU to all the diligent workers in the Regions and all the shop stewards that have chipped in to collect all the schedules from the companies! A special thanks to Fred Peterson in the Western Cape who has shown great interest in our drive, so please contact him if you need some tips.

We are making great progress and the administrators have captured all the schedules that have come through the post and the EFT (electronic payments via the bank into our account).

We are sending out an URGENT appeal for all our helpers (administrators, shop stewards and organisers) to push for all the outstanding schedules in the next two weeks.

The Metals and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) is coming then to audit our membership figures. We need to prove our membership so that we can receive our rightful share of the agency shop fee from all those non-members in the engineering industry.

We use the agency shop fees to fund things like training for your shop stewards on the collective agreements and on labour laws. With this training they can defend you and assist you better at work. Please do not hesitate to send the schedules to us. Remember, on that schedule we want the employer to send us this information:

EMPLOYEE NO. ID NUMBER SURNAME NAME BASIC SALARY/WAGE CONTRIBUTION

Comrades let’s make this project a great success because it will benefit all in the organization.

Note: If your company belongs to the motor sector (garages, panelbeaters, car dealers, etc), they must send your subscription payments and schedule together with their other returns showing the council levy, provident fund contributions etc to the Motor Industries Bargaining Council (Mibco)

Thank YouBest RegardsHelen Mockford, Numsa membership coordinatorNumsa Head Office153 Bree StreetJohannesburg 2001

Tel: 011 689 1700; e-mail helenm@numsa.org.za

Source

Numsa News