Sactwu wage deals welcomed, focus now on outages

ABOUT 5 000 cotton textile workers in 71 companies nationally have won an 8.5 percent wage increase this year.

The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) said the increase translates into about R7.8 million in additional wages over the next year.

Sactwu also signed off on a wage deal for 2 000 workers in the general goods and handbag leather sector.

The 8.5 percent increase is above the official inflation rate of 4.4 percent.

Sactwu general secretary Andre Kriel said workers in the industry will get increases ranging from R27.28 an hour for a grade-one worker and an hourly rate of R31.30 for a grade-five machine operator.

The agreement was negotiated and concluded in the National Textile Bargaining Council in August.

Workers in the 83 factories in the general goods and handbag leather sector will get a 7.5 percent increase after it was negotiated at the National Bargaining Council for the Leather Manufacturing Industry. Kriel said the trade union agency fee has also been increased from R12.75 to R14.75 a week.

The wage increases come into effect on July 1 and are effective for one year. The union’s fashion imbizo takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre today.

Themes that will be discussed include energising the industry; dealing with the energy crisis; how the industry can go green; and identifying emerging economic opportunities.

Kriel says load shedding has had a big impact on workers. According to a survey by Sactwu’s research wing, the SA Labour Research Institute, 17 percent of workers have been put on short time due to outages.

In addition, 14 percent of workers are facing the possibility of short time in the near future, and there is also concern of future retrenchments due to problems with the supply of electricity. More than 80 percent of factories rely on Eskom for energy.

Kriel said this leads to a complete shutdown during load shedding. “The industry has been slow at implementing alternative sources of power.” – Staff Writer