STEEL INDUSTRY

 

the

NATIONAL CRISIS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

and the role of

Seifsa

 

In a recent article (Catastrophic jobless rate warrants a state of emergency) by Mr. Leon Louw, the Executive Director of the Free Market Foundation, he:

• points to the causes of unemployment in South Africa;
• its traumatic social, health and human costs, including depression, emasculation, disease, violence, infant mortality and suicide;
• the devastating effect it has on the economy; and
• what needs to be done to address this crisis.

Please take the time to read this very insightful article as it is a must read.

In one of our recent articles ( 10 Oct 17 – How Absolutely Absurd Is This? – http://mailchi.mp/neasa/how-absolutely-absurd-is-this ) we reported, among others, the views of two previous Governors of the Reserve Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the devastating effect of the current bargaining model, especially with regard to the extension of agreements. Not a single economist known to me views this dispensation favourably.

What has Seifsa done to this Industry through their unlawful agreements? In short, simply this – they have exacerbated this crisis multiple times.

 

For a clueless, weak Seifsa, led by the ‘nobles’ **, it is business as usual.

In our caucuses prior to the 2017 negotiations, Seifsa agreed to all the proposals for change – in order to save this Industry. But that was only in the employer caucus; Seifsa is only brave in the employer caucus.

However, when they engaged with Numsa, all this changed. Then the ‘fear Numsa syndrome’ kicked in. The many defeats Seifsa suffered at the hands of Numsa had taken its toll. When Seifsa negotiates with Numsa the interests of the Industry does not count – its all about what Numsa wants. Then negotiations turns into a race by the ‘nobles’ to please Numsa, coupled with their natural instinct: self-interest and weakness.

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** I have borrowed the term ‘noble’ from the film Braveheart. In this film William Wallace, a Scottish freedom fighter of the thirteenth century, was murdered by Scottish nobles in their shortsighted endeavour to find favour with the English king. Scotland however, eventually obtained their freedom, Wallace became a Scottish hero and the nobles disappeared from history.

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So what needs to happen?

 

Simply this: never again must Seifsa be in a position to even attempt to extend their agreements – born out of weakness – to non-parties.

Here is the call to you, SMME employer:

• if you want to join this fight for Industry freedom, you can do so by joining NEASA;

• if you are already a NEASA member but wish to join the Steel Lobby, click here;

• if you want assistance to escape the Seifsa web, click here.

 

Kind Regards