File picture: Zanele Zulu File picture: Zanele Zulu
The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) has balloted about 70 percent of its Western Cape members on a proposal to strike over wages, its national organising secretary, Chris Gina, says.
Gina said 11 432 Sactwu clothing industry members in 78 of the province’s largest factories had been balloted on whether to join a national strike over wages.
This left 5 260 Western Cape members to be balloted in about 180 smaller factories before August 16, when the ballots would be counted.
Nationally, more than 30 000 – or 75 percent – of the trade union’s 40 000 clothing sector membership had been balloted.
Gina said he expected members to give “overwhelmingly support” for a strike.
“The clock is ticking,” he said.
“Once we complete the counting process, the trade union will be left with no option but to go on strike if we have a mandate.”
The country’s largest clothing sector union said it was compelled to consider strike action after wage negotiations between it and employers’ associations broke down over a proposed 7 percent wage increase and an incentive scheme that allows employees to earn more if they are more productive.
Gina said the union wanted an “unconditional” increase of 7 percent for all of its 40 000 members. It also wanted employers to narrow the wage gap between “metro” areas – like Cape Town, where wages were higher – and “non-metros” like Newcastle.
The director of the Cape Clothing Association, Johann Baard, said the association had taken the step of letting its regional affiliates raise wages unilaterally to avert a strike.
“Members may at their sole discretion implement wage increases at plant level,” the association said in a circular.
“While you may decide what increase to implement, you should be mindful that Sactwu’s proposed settlement position, as well as the recommendation of the conciliator, is for a 7 percent increase”.
But Baard said a strike would confront the most pressing issue facing the industry, that of low wages at “non-compliant” factories undercutting those of legal or “compliant” factories.
Meanwhile, the South African National Defence Union wants the Defence Department to pay overtime to members of the presidential medical unit, spokesman Pikkie Greeff said yesterday.
“We are writing a letter of demand… demanding that the department pay the overtime due to our members. If there is no response in 30 days, we will issue summons,” he said.
Members of the presidential medical unit had not been paid overtime for more than a year.
“They have been promised payment on several occasions. This cannot go on like this,” Greeff said.
Defence spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said the department would comment later. - The Cape Times