South African Waste Management Employers Association

South African Waste Management Employers Association

9 November 2005

SAWMEA have been meeting monthly due to the fact that various important issues are being addressed no breakfast or workshops have taken place.

The committees attention has been focused on resolved the following issues:

1. The fuel levy –

There were a few angles to address this issue and the IWMSA had taken the first step by arranging the Fuel meeting held recently. The meeting was very lively and the input from the competitions commission very important, a formula for all industry to implement could not be set up as this would be seen as price fixing and was illegal. Various formulas could be set up and then the individuals could decide which one they would use. They would then have to negotiate individually with their clients. A position paper was drafted and would be finalised at this meeting. This would then de distributed to all outlets in an aim to sensitise possible clients to the fuel problem.

A second point would be to start a process of assisting small companies on tendering, the lawyer present at the fuel meeting stated that this would be totally acceptable and would not be seen as anti competitive. Its was felt that it would be better to have a series of workshops and not just send a document to the smaller companies to read as they might not understand its contents.

A schedule was received from stats SA and all knew that the PPI was the most commonly used index because it was specifically suited for producers. The PPI could not be used individually as the diesel component would have to be added. The IWMSA should come up with a fair analysis of how costing should be escalated, and then distribute it to all members. One would have to determine what percentage of the transport formula was fuel related and then approach the clients with a suitable increase. The idea would be not to de prescriptive but to inform those who don’t have the knowledge to determine this formula. The IWMSA would drive this process with the assistance of Mr Seepi form GoAwaste Services.

Mr Seepi was co-opted onto both the central branch committee as well as SAWMEA committee.

Mrs Willcocks in her comments on the position statement stated that the IWMSA should consider becoming members of the RFA. a seminar took place on 19 October at the CSIR in Pretoria with the theme “Mystifying the fuel price.” SAWMEA should be called Environmental Services and then establish a chamber as such. The RFA had a new approach and would go the extra mile to assist the transport industry. The proposed workshops with the various municipalities - the topic should be broadened to educate them into the use of the correct tender procedures and formulas used for pricing etc. and the specifications for the various skip sizes should be reviewed and be kept available at Head Office where various municipalities could source them.

The workshops should be arranged as soon as possible by the IWMSA. The IWMSA should promote Proudly SA and should profess this to all its members.

RFA

Mr van Niekerk had met with the RFA and had explained the four pillars of SAWMEA one which was training and education and other the charter and the other the pricing etc. There was a better organisation to address these issues than SAWMEA and he enquired how SAWMEA could join or align with the RFA. Their response was that they had a few tipper owners who became RFA members who had formed a sub chamber within the RFA and SAWMEA could do the same. Agreement was reached about the administrative support, once SAWMEA became an official sub chamber all facilities of the RFA could be used for meetings etc. SAWMEA could link up with their charter as it was very similar to what we would use. Members would stop contributing to SAWMEA and contribute to the RFA who would provide funding for the use of the IWMSA offices and its equipment and Mrs Smit, the only stipulation being that they sit in on the committee meetings.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Without accredited unit standards no material could be accredited so there would be no registrations until unit standards had been accredited. Many companies had material available but were not prepared to offer these to the IWMSA. Nobody came forward to discuss this matter with the IWMSA so new material would have to be drafted. The IWMSA was prepared to negotiate but industry was too afraid to come forward. Mr van Niekerk stated would undertake discussions with the rest of industry regarding them supplying their material to the IWMSA.

The election of a vice president was put on hold.