Pretoria - Numsa on Thursday denied reports that the strike in the metals and engineering sector was over.

"We view these reports as nothing but an endeavour to sabotage or weaken the well-organised and very strong strike by our members in the engineering or metals sector," the National Union of Metalworkers of SA's (Numsa) spokesman Castro Ngobese said.

He said some media houses were reporting that Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant had brokered a settlement between Numsa and employer bodies, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa and the National Employers' Association of SA.

He said there was no deal or agreement the union was aware of.

Numsa members in the metal and engineering industries downed tools on July 1, initially demanding a salary increase of 12 percent, dropped from their pre-strike demand of 15 percent. They also demanded a R1000 housing allowance, and a total ban on labour brokers.

The union announced on Sunday it had lowered its wage demand to 10 percent.

"At the appropriate time Numsa shall publicly announce when such a deal is on the table, after consulting members first," Ngobese said.

 

Sapa