SACTWU fine tunes workplace wage mandates

10 Mar '16

2 min read

The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (SACTWU) has now concluded its 2016 workplace wage mandating processes ahead of new wage negotiations this year.

Since mid-January this year, the process covered 1500 workplaces nationally, 6000 general meetings (an average of 4 per workplace), and approximately 85 000 SACTWU members participated, the Union said in a press release.

These demands were collected directly from workers by SACTWU staff and its 2000 shop stewards, in all parts of South Africa.

SACTWU said it has collected approximately 15 000 separate substantive collective bargaining demands (an average of 10 per workplace), mainly covering wages as well as a range of other collective bargaining related demands, such as retirement benefits improvements, shift allowances, health care provisions, maternity rights, holiday pay and general worker rights issues.

2016, is a collective bargaining year for all SACTWU's major industrial sectors. This follows on the expiry of long term wage agreements (most of which was for 2 years), at the end of June this year.

The collected workplace wage demands are now being consolidated into Regional sectoral demands, for SACTWU's five constitutional Regions (KZN, W Cape, E Cape, Gauteng and its Head Office Project – which covers the Free state and surrounding areas).

SACTWU said its regional sectoral wage demands will now be consolidated into national sectoral demands, at its 2016 National Bargaining Conference, which takes place from March 17 to 21.

SACTWU's National Bargaining Conference will be attended by 400 shop stewards from all parts of the country, and drawn from all industrial- and other sector workplaces where the Union is organised (mainly clothing, textiles and leather).

SACTWU's said its actual wage negotiations with employers are due to begin in mid-April this year. At its conclusion later this year, SACTWU's collective bargaining agreements are expected to cover just over 100 000 workers across the country. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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