NUMSA INVESTMENTS
Investments in Sandton

The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) is the biggest metal workers trade union. For many years MICWU organised and represented workers in the motor industry: components manufacturing, body building, servicing, and petrol attendants. Its white sister union was part of TUCSA and so it too became a member. At the IMF, MICWU, MAWU and NAAWU became engaged in discussions to prevent the poaching of each other’s membership in the component sector. These discussions led to the emergence of the idea of building one metal union. MAWU was the first union formed in Durban from the General Factory Workers Benefit Fund. MAWU was formed in 1973, and the Transvaal branch in NUMARWOSA and WPMAWU were affiliated to TUCSA but the racism and conservatism of TUCSA forced both unions out of TUCSA and to look at building another trade union federation that would unite all workers and be a force for change in South Africa. The new federation formed in 1979, brought these unions together with MAWU and talks of building a giant metalworkers union began. Much of Numsa’s historical records are archived at the University of Witwatersrand. NUMSA’s key activity is collective bargaining with employers. Training and adult basic education NUMSA is an active member of the Merseta, the sectoral training authority that covers most of Numsa’s members. It also takes part in the E-Seta and the Isett-Seta. We also negotiate with employers to provide adult basic education to those members that want it. In addition, a major effort is put into ensuring Aids education and awareness in workplaces. Benefits The majority of NUMSA’s members belong to many different pension/provident schemes. Membership Efforts are continuing to improve our membership system. Legal NUMSA has a team of national and regional legal officers, some of whom are lawyers, who are responsible for advising organising staff and members on their legal rights. They also represent members in court our outsource cases to outside lawyers. This is the forum where representatives from business, labour and government meet to discuss issues and make changes to proposed laws before they go to Parliament. Industrial Councils bring together all trade unions and all employers who work in one industry. Once an agreement is reached at an Industrial Council, the Minister of Labour can extend this agreement to cover every employer that falls under this industry. There are some factories, like Eskom where there is no centralised bargaining for the industry. In these shop steward councils, all the shop stewards from that company meet nationally to negotiate with the employer.