South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) seems to be all set to launch a nation-wide strike over their pay hike demand.
Although the final voting results of the 40,000 member workers of SACTWU are yet to be released, majority of workers have voted in favour of strike, according to SACTWU Spokeswoman Nazmia Leite.
Of the 33,000 SACTWU members who have already voted, nearly 82 percent have voted in support of the strike, while only 16 percent of them have voted against the proposal, with the rest being undecided.
A national wage strike ballot in the clothing sector was launched almost two weeks back to ascertain the readiness of the members to launch a strike, following SACTWU’s row with employers over wage hike.
According to Ms. Leite, if the poll results are in favour of strike, it would impact factories across the nation.
Much would then depend on the response of the employers, as though some employers have shown their readiness to fulfil the Union’s demand, SACTWU is looking forward to an agreement at national level and not at individual plant level, she said.
Workers are seeking an 8.5 percent rise in wages, especially for the employees working in non-metropolitan areas. This 8.5 percent rise sums up only to a rise of R45 per week on the minimum wage of R534 per week prescribed for these areas, she added.
Against the workers’ demand, employers are offering a rise of R37 per week. In addition, the employers’ are proposing that new factories and new workers should qualify for a wage which is just 80 percent of the prescribed rate.
Source:
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=115671