Main Agreement handbook for the metal industry - Conditions of employment
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Effective from 1 July 2022
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© SEIFSA 2022
Annexure B
Five-Grade Job and Wage Structure During the 1996 Main Agreement negotiations, the parties concluded an agreement on the introduction of a new voluntary five-grade job and wage structure in the industry. Individual employers in the industry, together with their respective worker representatives and/or registered trade unions recognised at company level, may accordingly mutually agree on whether or not to implement the five-grade job and wage structure or continue to observe the current 13 grades (Rates A to H) and related arrangements. The agreed details of the five-grade job and wage structure including the implementation process; employee multi-skilling and multi-tasking obligations; employer training obligations; the wage structure and phase-in arrangements; job creation provisions and the five-grade skill definitions are to be set out hereunder: Individual employers together with worker representatives and/or registered trade unions recognised at company level will mutually agree on whether to adopt the new job and wage structure or to continue using the current 13 grades and related arrangements. It is the intention of the parties that the decision whether or not to adopt the new grading structure should be a voluntary one on both sides. However, where consensus on the matter cannot be reached between the parties at company level, the following dispute procedure will apply: Step 1 The matter will be referred to the relevant Regional Council for conciliation. Two assessors – one from the employer side and one from the trade union side
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– may, by mutual agreement, be appointed to assist the conciliator. The assessors shall be selected from outside the company. Any costs arising from the use of assessors shall be borne by the party concerned. Step 2 Where this is unsuccessful in resolving the dispute, both parties or either party may refer the matter to one of an agreed panel of IMSSA arbitrators who will attempt to conciliate the dispute. The costs of the conciliation and subsequent advisory arbitration process (where this is undertaken) shall be negotiated at company level. Two assessors – one from the party trade unions and one from the employer side – will be appointed to assist the IMSSA arbitrator. The assessors shall be selected from outside the company. Any costs arising from the use of assessors shall be borne by the party concerned. Step 3 Should this conciliation not be successful, the arbitrator will then decide the matter in terms of advisory arbitration. Step 4 Should the parties not have followed the conciliation/ advisory arbitration process set out in Steps 2 and 3 above or should either party not be prepared to accept the advisory arbitration decision, they will be free to pursue the matter in terms of legal industrial action.
