Q
: SAEFA has also alleged that
SEIFSA has not been as virulently
outspoken as NEASA against the
unions and the Government. How do
you respond?
A
: For a start, unlike others, SEIFSA does
not consider the Government and labour
as enemies. Instead, we view them as important
stakeholders with whom we have to work
cooperatively to advance the interests of our
sector and to grow the country’s economy.
Where we disagree with either stakeholder
group, we say so boldly, and when we agree
with them on any matter, we work with them as
enthusiastic partners.
Secondly, SEIFSA is a federation representing
employers throughout the broad metals and
engineering value chain. These range from
primary steel producers through to metal
fabricators, and from small companies employing
anything up to 50 people to large, listed or multi-
national companies in different sub-sectors
of the metals and engineering sector with
thousands of employees. Given this vast and
diverse constituency, SEIFSA does not easily and
readily make public pronouncements on matters
in a manner that organisations representing
only employers of a particular kind can or do.
When it makes public pronouncements, SEIFSA
endeavours to represent the views of all – or
most – of its constituency. That calls for great
circumspection, which is not the case with the
organization to which we are being unfairly
compared.
Q
A
: How will SAEFA’s resignation
affect SEIFSA?
: Unfortunately, SAEFA’s resignation
weakens the Federation at a time when
greater unity of purpose is required among
employers to solve the challenges that confront
the sector, including the welfare of the MEIBC
and the 2017 negotiations on wages and
conditions of employment. To that extent, the
resignation affects SEIFSA.
However, the Federation still represents 25 loyal
employer Associations, which collectively employ
the majority of factory workers (in excess of
130 000) in the metals and engineering sector.
It remains the authoritative voice of employers
in the sector, represents them in collective
bargaining and lobbies on their behalf. It remains
the only employer representative in the sector
with healthy relations with all stakeholders,
including labour and the Government, and
believes firmly that it will take a solid partnership
among Government, business and labour to get
South Africa to realize its economic potential.
Q
: How many companies are
members of SAEFA (and are all of
them lost to SEIFSA)?
A
: Just over 500 companies were members
of the SAEFA. Many of them were unhappy
with the decision taken by the Association’s
leadership and have since resigned from the
Association because they want to remain
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