CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS DESK
FROM THE CEO’S DESK
A
s the Metals and Engineering sector finds itself another strike, it seems this is an appropriate time to reflect on what this means for our industry. There is little doubt that from many an employer’s perspective, the future of collective bargaining has been called into question for a number of reasons.
Lucio Trentini
These range from the fact that industrial action related to collective bargaining has become protracted and so violent that businesses now feel that they reach agreements under duress and are subsequently saddled with unaffordable wage increases, to wondering what is the root cause of the violence, damage to property and intimidation that we experience time and again. In many instances, and not always directly linked to our negotiations, strike action is no longer necessarily just about bread and butter issues; rather, it is a symptom of deeper underlying problems. The problems in question are undoubtedly poverty, inequality and unemployment. If left unaddressed, these problems will continue to be the trigger points for protracted, violent and ongoing industrial action. More and more social issues such as housing and access to quality medical care are finding their way onto letters of demand
4
SEIFSA NEWS
|
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021
