Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act No. 66 of 1995)

Notices

Bargaining Council for the Furniture Manufacturing Industry

KwaZulu Natal

Extension to Non-Parties of the Provident Fund and Mortality Benefit Association Collective Agreement

Chapter ll

12. Contributions

Purchase

(a)

Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) hereof, every employer shall on the first pay-day after the date upon which this agreement comes into operation and therefore on every pay-day of each Fund Week, deduct from the wages of each and every member in his employ the amount specified in column A of Annexure A to this collective agreement. To the amount so deducted the employer shall add a contribution as specified in column B of Annexure A to this collective agreement.

(b)	Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this collective agreement, should a member work for only two days or less during any one Fund Week, no contribution shall be made.

(c)	Deductions shall be made from wages received by a member for periods of paid leave of absence from work and paid holidays during any period of employment other than during the period of annual closure, provided that such paid public holiday falls on a normal working day.

(a)

Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) hereof, the employer shall forward monthly the total contributions referred to in sub-clause 12(1)(a) of this clause, together with a return in the form prescribed by the Council from time to time, to reach the Secretary not later than the 10th day of month following the month during which the member's deductions were required to be made.

(b)

An employer who is in arrears with payment in terms of Sub-clause 2(a) hereof and who fails, after having been warned in writing by the Council, to forward the outstanding amounts within seven days of the date of such warning shall, upon being notified by the Council in writing to do so, submit the contributions referred to in sub-clause 1 of this clause week by week so as to reach the Secretary not later than the Friday following the pay-day of the week in respect of which the contributions are due. The payment submitted in respect of the last pay-day of each calendar month shall be accompanied by the return referred to in sub-clause (a) hereof. An employer to whom the provisions of this sub-clause have been applied, may revert to the payment of contributions on the monthly basis provided for in terms of sub-clause (a) hereof only upon being notified by the Council in writing.

(c)

If not already furnished in respect of present employees, but in any event whenever a new employee enters the industry, the first statement referred to in sub-clause (a) or (b) hereof following the date upon which such employee became eligible for membership of the Fund shall be accompanied by a schedule reflecting the full names of the employee, as well as such employee's address, identity /reference number and the address and identity /reference number, where available, of the member's dependant(s) and /or any other information that may be required by the Council from time to time.

(d)

Every member, if he has not already done so, but in any event joining the Provident Fund, shall advise his employer of his address and identity /reference number and of the address and identity /reference number where available, of his dependant(s). Every member shall furnish his employer with any change of address of his dependant(s) and every employer shall advise the Secretary thereof in writing.

(e)

Should an amount due in terms of this clause not be received by the Council by the 10th day of the month following the month in respect of which it is payable, the employer shall pay interest on such amount or on such lesser amount as may remain unpaid, calculated at the rate as Prescribed by the Pension Funds Act, 1956 as amended, Section 13A Regulation 33 and Notices by the Registrar of Pension Funds from such 10th day until the day which payment is actually received by the Council :

3	If any contribution is made to the Provident Fund erroneously, the Provident Fund shall not be liable to repay that contribution after the lapse of six months from the date of such payment.

4	From the weekly contributions received from the employee and his employer, the Council shall—

(a)

divert to the Natal Furniture Workers' Sick Benefit Society in respect of members contributions as prescribed in Clause 18, in the event that any other Society established with similar objectives between the Parties, in respect of members, such contributions as are prescribed by that collective agreement.

(d)	divert to the Mortality Benefit Association embodied in Chapter III of this collective agreement such contributions as are prescribed in clause 18(1) and (2).