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The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) has settled its wage dispute in the Worsted textile sub-sector.

This new settlement follows on others which we have recently concluded and announced, such as in the Woven & Crochet textile sub-sector, the Cotton textile sub-sector and the General Goods & Handbags sub-sector.

The signature processes for the written wage agreement for this new Worsted textile settlement was completed on Friday last week.

It is a 2-year collective agreement, effective from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024.

It provides for wage increases ranging between 7.5% and 8% for this year, and for next year, it provides for wage increases between 7% and 7.5%, as set out below.

For year 1 (covering the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023):

• For textile Spinners in Area A (which covers the whole country including Gqeberha and Durban), the wage increase will be 7.5%.
• For textile Spinners in Area B (which covers Kwazulu Natal and E Cape Provinces but excluding Gqeberha and Durban) the wage increase will be 8%.
• For Year 2 (covering the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024):
• For textile Spinners in Area A, the wage increase will be 7%.
• For textile Spinners in Area B  the wage increase will be 7.5%.

This new 2-year collective agreement was succesfully concluded under the dispute processes and procedures of the National Textile Bargaining Council (NTBC), with employers represented by the National Association of Worsted Textile Manufacturers (NTMA).

In a new precedent-setting provision for industrial workers in our industry, this Worsted textiles collective agreement provides for an extra day's paid annual leave per year, for workers who have completed 8 years' consecutive service on permanent staff.

The settlement was achieved after four negotiation rounds which commenced on 6 April, inclusive of a dispute conciliation round.

We had declared a wage dispute against Worsted textile employers on the 25th May this year.

A formal dispute conciliation meeting was held on 22 June 2022, where final agreement was eventually reached.

The differential increases between areas A and B are to help reduce the wage gap which exists between these 2 geographic areas.

The now signed new collective agreement for the Worsted textiles sub-sector will be submitted to the Minister of Employment & Labour, with a request for its gazettal and extension to non-party employers.

Issued by Andre Kriel, SACTWU General Secretary