The National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry has today ratified  South Africa’s first ever COVID-19 Personal Protection Equipment & Essential Products Collective Agreement

This collective agreement sets as its primary objective to ensure that the South African Clothing Manufacturing Industry contributes constructively to combatting the spread of COVID-19, by assisting to provide anti-COVID-19 frontline combatants, South African- and our fellow citizens on the African continent specifically, and others globally, with quality Personal Protection Equipment (“PPE”) and other essential products, which is manufactured under decent employment conditions.

This collective agreement sets as its first immediate objective to galvanise our industry’s manufacturing capacity produce a target of 1 million fabric face masks, commencing now in April.  In addition, the production of other essential products, such as baby- and winter wear, will be significantly ramped up.

The agreement also provides for significant expansion into other essential medical personal protective equipment, such as the production of N95 and equivalent medical masks, medical staff uniforms, medical safety gloves, etc.

The agreement provides for workplaces to be re-purposed, and to provide protection for employees through anti-COVID-19 Customised Workplace Plans, including appropriate social distancing production method organisation and hours work re-structuring.

The agreement condemns recent attempts to politicise Personal Protection Equipment, such as we have seen with recent issuing of party-political emblems on fabric face masks. It calls for the production of PPE’s which promotes nation-building instead, by promoting national symbols such as the South African flag.

The use of locally manufactured textile fabric will be the priority.

Participating companies will be required to adhere to prescribed product manufacturing standards, such as the “Recommended Guidelines for Fabric Face Mask Manufacturing” issued by the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition on 9 April 2020.

The signatory parties to this collective agreement hopes that it will provide a significant boost to South Africa’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Issued by The National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry of South Africa