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- The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union has secured a 7% wage increase in the clothing sector.
- This is the fourth wage increase of at least 7% that the union has secured in other wage talks in the space of two months.
- The two-year agreement provides for a 7% wage increase in year one from 1 September, and a further wage increase of CPI plus 1% in year two.
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The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) announced that it has secured a 7% wage increase for an estimated 50 000 workers in the clothing sector.
This is the fourth wage increase of at least 7% that the union has secured in various sub-sectors of the clothing and textile industry in the space of two months.
Previously, Sactwu secured a 7% wage increase in the woven cotton sector wage talks in July, a minimum 7% wage increase for blanket workers in July, and a 7.25% increase in the leather and textile sub-sector in July. The latest deal is for workers in the general clothing, textile, and apparel sectors.
The Cosatu-aligned textile union announced that it settled a dispute in the broader clothing sector after three rounds of wage negotiations and two dispute meetings with the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry (NBC). The NBC confirmed the agreement.
READ | Textile union strings together 7% wage deal for woven cotton workers
Sactwu said in a statement that the new collective agreement was adopted during a meeting at the clothing bargaining council on Wednesday and the new wage deal will kick in on Thursday.
"This new wage collective agreement was concluded with employers represented by the Apparel and Textile Association of South Africa, the South African Apparel Association, and the South African Clothing Manufacturers' Association," the statement said.
The statement said the two-year agreement provides for a 7% wage increase in year one from 1 September, a further wage increase of CPI plus 1% in year two, and payment for public holidays which fall on a Saturday.
"Approximately 50 000 clothing workers in South Africa will benefit from this wage increase settlement. For the year two wage increase, the CPI of June 2023 as determined by Statistics South Africa will be used.
"In year two, if the CPI plus 1% increase is less than the rand value of this year's wage increase, the wage increase will be the rand value of this year's increase. If it is more, the parties will renegotiate," the union said.
READ | Another wage agreement for the textile sector as blanket workers sign 2-year deal
NBC secretary general Paul Wild confirmed the wage deal, saying a further 0.25% increase in employer provident fund prescribed contribution rates will be introduced effective from 1 February 2024 for workers in non-metro areas.
