Any expressions used in this Agreement which are defined in the Labour Relations Act, 1995, shall have the same meaning as in that Act and any reference to an Act shall include any amendments to such Act, and unless the contrary intention appears, words importing the masculine gender shall also include the feminine gender and vice versa further, unless inconsistent with the context—

“Act”

means the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act 66 of 1995)(as amended);

“Collective Bargaining Fee”

means the fee set out in clause 5 of this Agreement;

“Council”

means the Furniture Bargaining Council;

“Furniture, Bedding and, Upholstery Manufacturing Industry” or “Industry”

means, without in any way limiting the ordinary meaning of the expression, the industry in which employers and their employees are associated for the manufacture, either in whole or as a complete unit or in part as a component or components, of all types of furniture and bedding as well as upholstery and/or re-upholstery and will, inter alia, include the following:

Repairing, staining, spraying, polishing, re-polishing, making loose covers and/or cushions, wood machining, veneering, woodturning, carving, assembling, painting, wood bending and laminating. Furniture manufacturing will also include the manufacturing, installation, repairing, polishing, re-polishing, staining, spraying of pianos, organs, movable room/office partitions, kitchen cupboards, kitchen cupboard tops, kitchen cupboard components (irrespective of materials used), attached wall cupboards, built-in cupboards, built-in cupboard components, free standing bars or built-in bar counters, cane, wicker or grass furniture, cabinets including cabinets for musical instruments and radios, wireless or television cabinets, bathroom cupboards, any other cupboard tops and furniture for tea-rooms, restaurants, offices, churches, schools, libraries, other educational institutions, conference centres and theatres but excluding the manufacturing of furniture made mainly of metal and/or plastic materials.

The manufacturing, repairing, covering, re-covering of mattress bases, mattresses, spring mattresses, overlays, bolsters, pillows, cushions for studio couches, spring units, box-spring mattresses and studio couches, but excluding the manufacturing of bedding made mainly of metal and/or plastic materials.

“Studio Couch” means an article of furniture, which is designed for seating and for conversion into a double bed or two or more beds and of which the frames are constructed mainly of metal and the seating and/or sleeping surfaces consist of mattresses and/or cushions.

The upholstering or re-upholstering of any furniture, or item of furniture, bedding, pelmets and mattress bases.