Meeting may see end of three-week SA textile sector strike

16 Aug '14

2 min read

A South African government body has recommended settlement of an ongoing strike by employees of a section of the South African textile industry who are on strike since the last three weeks to negotiate a wage hike.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) intervened in the wage dispute between Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) and the South African Cotton Textile Processing Employers’ Association (SACTPEA) and suggested a settlement.

About 3,000 SACTWU members in the cotton textile sector are on a national wage strike since the last three weeks. The union is demanding an 8.75% wage increase and a further 2.5% on peripheral rights issues.

CCMA had last week, offered a Labour Relations Act (LRA) Section 150 intervention. Under the terms of this LRA provision, the CCMA can at any stage offer to mediate in an industrial dispute, which is then voluntary for the disputing parties to either accept or reject such a CCMA offer.

In this instance, both, SACTWU and SACTPEA accepted the CCMA’s Section 150 intervention offer.

SACTWU said that the outcome of the meeting was a recommended settlement of the strike and it will now consult its members to secure a final mandate whether or not to accept the recommended settlement position.

It expects the consultation process to be finalised by Monday next week. Thereafter SACTWU will announce the specific details involved. Wage increases for this sector were due on 1 July 2014.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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