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South Africa's biggest-ever strike ends as engineering and metal workers accept pay rises up to 33%

Union declares 'massive victory' as three-year pay deal sees lowest wages rise by a third over three years

South Africa’s striking engineering and metals workers have accepted a three-year wage offer to end the country’s biggest-ever labour stoppage.

Union representatives for the roughly 200,000 workers who downed tools on July 1 said on Monday that the lowest-paid worker would get a 10 per cent pay increase each year for the next three years.

Their union had been demanding a rise of up to 15 per cent in a one-year deal.

“The settlement offer has been overwhelmingly and unanimously accepted by our members,” said National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa general secretary Irvin Jim.

Mr Jim described the increase, which is above the inflation rate of 6.6 per cent, as a “massive victory” compared with the “pittance” the companies had once offered.

The offer, which was brokered by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, had been made last week. 

But attempts by the employers to prevent further bargaining at company level meant it took a few more days before a deal was sealed.

Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa head Kaizer Nyatsumba said: “We are immensely relieved that the strike is finally over.”

But a group representing small and medium companies, the National Employers Association of South Africa, rejected what it claimed was an “unsustainable” settlement, warning it will lock out any workers that try to report for duty.

It said that it was “extremely dissatisfied with the settlement” and could afford only an 8 per cent across-the-board increase.

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