Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act No. 66 of 1995)NoticesBargaining Council for the Metal and Engineering IndustriesMain Collective AgreementPart 1 : Conditions of Employment37. Levels of Bargaining in the Industry |
(1) Subject to subclause (2)—
| (a) | the Bargaining Council shall be the sole forum for negotiating matters contained in the Main Agreement; |
| (b) | during the currency of the Agreement, no matter contained in the Agreement may be an issue in dispute for the purposes of a strike or lock-out or any conduct in contemplation of a strike or lock-out; |
| (c) | any provision in a collective agreement binding an employer and employees covered by the Council, other than a collective agreement concluded by the Council, that requires an employer or a trade union to bargain collectively in respect of any matter contained in the Main Agreement, is of no force and effect. |
| (2) | Where bargaining arrangements at plant and company level, excluding agreements entered into under the auspices of the Bargaining Council, are in existence, the parties to such arrangements may, by mutual agreement, modify or suspend or terminate such bargaining arrangements in order to comply with subclause (1). In the event of the parties to such arrangements failing to agree to modify or suspend or terminate such arrangements by the date of implementation of the Main Agreement, the wage increases on scheduled rates and not on the actual rates shall be applicable to such employers and employees until the parties to such arrangement agree otherwise. |
| (3) | The provisions of this clauses shall apply equally to any trade unions not party to this Agreement. |