The role of the Cape Furniture Manufacturers' Association (CFMA)
1. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The CFMA is a registered employer’s organisation in terms of the Labour Relations Act and represents and serves employers (businesses) in the furniture manufacturing industry as a collective.
The CFMA is party to the Furniture Bargaining Council and represents its members in collective bargaining with Unions at an Industry level. Collective bargaining at this level includes negotiations regarding conditions of employment and wages.
Advantages of being a member of the CFMA are:
- Self regulation of the terms and conditions of employment for the furniture manufacturing industry.
- Industry negotiations create level playing fields for all furniture manufacturers that fall within the jurisdiction of the Bargaining Council.
- Access to fast, efficient and effective dispute resolution mechanisms.
- Industry level negotiations remove the pressure of shop floor negotiations with the adversarial consequences that accompanies shop floor negotiations.
- Minimised risk of factory specific strikes
2. REPRESENTATION
- The CFMA represents its members at conciliation and arbitration proceedings and as a registered employers’ organisation has the legal standing to do so.
- The CFMA is also directly involved at industry level with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Western Cape Furniture Initiative (WCFI) and other government departments and industry bodies for the advancement of the interests of employers engaged in the furniture manufacturing industry in the Cape and also on a national level.
3. MEMBERSHIP
Any manufacturer of furniture in the Western Cape is eligible for membership and the attendant advantages of such membership as stated above. The CFMA is governed by its constitution and is managed by an Executive Committee and an appointed Secretary. The Executive Committee consists of elected members who are elected on an annual basis by democratic process.