A bargaining council is a sector body, not a single national organisation. Which one applies to you depends entirely on the industry you work in.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not any of the companies listed here and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel with the right information in hand.
Who actually handles this
The council for your industry. Bargaining councils are registered per sector, and each sets conditions of employment for that industry, administers its agreements, and resolves disputes within it. Several also administer industry retirement and benefit funds, which is a separate function from the council’s dispute role.
What to do, in order
- Establish which industry your employer falls under. That determines the council, not the province you work in.
- For a wage, leave or main agreement question, the council is the right body.
- For a benefit or fund query, ask whether the council or a separate fund administrator handles it. They are usually different.
- For an unfair dismissal or a dispute where no council covers the industry, the CCMA is the route instead.
- Keep your employment contract and payslips, which show which council levies appear.
What to have ready before you make contact
- Your employer’s name and industry.
- Your payslip, which usually shows council or fund deductions.
- Your employment contract.
- Dates and details of the issue in dispute.
Verified council and fund routes
Every route in this table was taken from the organisation’s own official contact page and checked on 21 August 2026. Contact details change, so confirm on the official site before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| GEPF toll free call centre | 0800 117 669 |
| GEPF general email | [email protected] |
| Private Security Sector Provident Fund | 010 600 1750 |
| Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council | 011 639 8000 |
Complaints about an industry retirement fund
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Pension Funds Adjudicator, toll free | 080 074 4444 |
| Pension Funds Adjudicator switchboard | 012 748 4000 |
| Pension Funds Adjudicator, alternate | 012 346 1738 |
| Pension Funds Adjudicator enquiries email | [email protected] |
Fund, administrator, employer: who holds what
- The fund holds your money. It is a separate legal entity registered under the Pension Funds Act and run by a board of trustees, and it survives the employer closing, being sold or being renamed.
- The administrator runs the fund’s day-to-day work under contract: member records, claims and the call centre. GEPF is administered by the GPAA; many private funds are administered by Alexforbes, Sanlam or Momentum. One administrator services many funds, which is why it needs the fund’s name to find you, not just your ID number.
- Your employer pays contributions over and certifies your exit. This is where most delayed claims actually sit, and it is the cheapest thing to check first.
- The trustees make the decisions the law reserves for them, including how a death benefit is distributed. Neither the administrator nor the employer makes that call.
- The Pension Funds Adjudicator resolves complaints against funds free of charge, and its determinations bind the fund. The FSCA regulates funds and runs a free public search for unclaimed benefits.
Your benefit statement names both the fund and the administrator, and carries your member number. Those three pieces of information answer most of what follows, and without the fund’s name an administrator often cannot locate you at all.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Looking for a single national bargaining council. They are registered per sector.
- Taking a fund query to the council or a council query to the fund.
- Going to the CCMA where a council covers your industry, or the reverse.
- Missing the time limit for a dispute. Both councils and the CCMA apply strict deadlines.
If it is not resolved
The Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator resolves complaints against retirement funds, free of charge to the complainant, and its determinations are legally binding on the fund. It will not take a complaint that has not been put to the fund first, so lodge with the fund, keep the reference number, and give it a reasonable opportunity to respond before approaching the Adjudicator.
Escalation works on evidence. Keep a short written log of every contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the person you spoke to and the reference number you were given. Every formal complaints process asks for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there one bargaining council for all industries?
No. Councils are registered per sector, and the one that applies is determined by your employer’s industry.
Does the council hold my provident fund?
Usually the fund is a separate entity administered on the industry’s behalf, even where the council is closely associated with it.
What if no council covers my industry?
Disputes then go to the CCMA rather than to a council.
The contact routes on this page were checked against each organisation’s official source on 21 August 2026. Where a detail has changed, the official source is always the authority.