SACTWU resolve wage dispute with clothing employers

Oscar Thomas
16 September 2014

The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union has today resolved its 2014 clothing industry national wage dispute with clothing employers.

Sactwu General Secretary Andre Kriel said the negations have been on-going for months and a strike was always the last resort for the trade union in the clothing industry.

A formal agreement was signed on Monday which will govern the conditions of employment in the industry.  

Kriel said said the wage dispute between workers and employers had been resolved following agreement on the offers.

“This year’s clothing industry wage dispute has now finally been resolved, averting a possible national strike of 80 000 clothing workers Kriel added.

Meanwhile the Apparel Manufactures of South Africa’s Executive Director Johann Baard said this whole process has shown how in this sector the process of labour relations and bargaining council is not in crisis. 

Baard said resolving the wage dispute is a victory and it is a victory for constructive and mature labour relationships.

“At the heart of the dispute was not simply wage increases, but a critical decision that Sactwu had not made to either have a level playing field between all employers in the industry or to give some relief to compliant members represented by Amsa through a new wage model which was agreed upon through these negotiations Baard added.