After establishing itself as the major bargaining partner in engineering, following the 1988 ‘strategic strike’, Numsa turned to serious engagement on the Nicisemi.

The engineering industry was hardest hit by the economic slump. By 1989 employment had not returned to 1981 levels despite higher outputs. Many engineering companies had rebuilt their operations and raised productivity by introducing new technology and employing fewer workers who were expected to produce more. It was against this background that Numsa's engineering sector achieved some of its most progressive bargaining outcomes and experienced some of its most significant defeats.

In 1989 Numsa entered engineering industrial council talks as the most powerful of 15 union parties, with 115 000 members in an industry of 360 000. It was no longer possible for the manpower minister to gazette agreements without Numsa as a signatory, or for the union to use Mawu's tactic of exiting talks without signing. Numsa now held the responsibility of strengthening the Nicisemi and ensuring its survival.

Numsa came to the table intent on negotiating more than wages – it wanted to open a dialogue with employers on job security, job creation, training and a social security net. In the words of its president, Dube, ‘Capital has attacked the workers to cut their costs. The first thing they are attacking is job security. We have seen more and more permanent workers replaced by temporary workers. A lot of work is sub-contracted … if we don't defeat this attack, money won't help – because you will be unemployed anyway … it will be very short-sighted if we just concentrate always on money.’

The metal unions had tried to stem retrenchments by negotiating procedures at the plant. Now Numsa aimed to address structural unemployment at industry level and challenge the employers’ unilateral approach to company restructuring. Explained Smith: