This past Friday (14 October), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) signed an above-inflation wage agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation (AMEO) that will see workers in the automotive industry receive an 8.5% increase.
AMEO represents motor manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen, while NUMSA is the country’s biggest union with over 400 000 members.
According to the deal that was signed at the National Bargaining Forum, the workers will receive the 8.5% increase in the first year followed by a 7% increase in both the second and third year of the three-year deal, which will be valid until 30 June 2025.
In addition, each employee will also receive a taxable one-off gratuity payment of R10 000.
The union said that workers could expect back pay from July to September at the end of this month.
In August, NUMSA rejected AMEO’s offer of a 6.2% increase in year one, followed by an increase of 5.6% in year two and 4.7% in year three.
In the statement NUMSA released to announce the agreement, they said that it was “significant that we have maintained the standard for the sake of workers and their families, when other unions are encouraging members to sign agreements and settle with (sic) 3%”.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
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