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

This follows on a series of other recent settlements which our trade union has successfully achieved, and reported on.

SACTWU has declared a formal wage dispute for the Non-Woven textile sector, on 17th June 2022.

Negotiations in this sector started on 21 April 2022, and when no settlement could be reached after 3 formal rounds of wage talks, the union declared the dispute.

Settlement was  reached on 15th July 2022, and the final agreement was eventually signed last Thursday (21 July 2022).

These new wage increases for SACTWU’s Non-Woven textile sector members will be backdated to 1 July 2022, which is the normal implementation date.

This new collective agreement for the Non-Woven textile sector is a 2-year agreement, effective from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024.

It provides for wage increases of 7% during the first year of the collective agreement, and the same rand amount for the second year.

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

In addition to the wage increases, this new Non-Woven textile sector agreement also provides for the following improvements, amongst other:

• abolishment of new entry level wage provisions;

• an increase in the long service allowance;

• a compulsory requirement that annual bonuses are payable no later than at least 1 week before Christmas day;

• abolishment of the restriction that no annual bonus is applicable if an employee leaves employment before 1 November, and replaced with a provision that such employees will earn a pro-rata annual bonus;

• an increase in the annual bonus by 1 extra paid day.

This now signed new collective agreement for the Non-Woven textile 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

If further comment is required please contact SACTWU’s National Sector Co-ordinator for the Non-Woven textile sector, SACTWU’s Western Cape 1st Provincial Organiser, Mr Xolisile Guwa, on cell number 060 6555428.