Close to 55,000 workers from the South African textile sector have been on strike since the 15th of September. The crisis could endure as the strikers have refused an offer from the management which they judged to be morally doubtful.

Demonstration in Johannesburg - Photo : Alexander Joe/AFP

The association of textile sector employers proposed an increase of 8% for salaries, a figure that the strikers had already refused in August before the strike began, though this action is yet to yield a new offer from the directors. As part of the proposed deal the employees must accept to lose a part of their income in case of absence from work, even if it was a legally justified absence. This demand was judged to be unacceptable by Andre Kriel, secretary general of the Sactwu union (South African clothing and textile workers’ union).

Negotiations over salary originally began in April with a view to come into effect in September. But, in the face of management that was invoking the weight of the global recession as an argument, the union quickly became frustrated at the talks. Textile workers are the least well paid of all the workers in the local manufacturing industries, with an average salary of close to €29.65 per week. The Sactwu pointed out that thousands of workers were paid even less than this.

The tension is such that the union has accepted to see the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) in an attempt to keep communications open between the union and the directors’ group. This step was made following the revelation of the particular interest Jacob Zuma, South African president, has in the industry. For him, South African textiles need to be supported during the global recession, with competition ever increasing. The next few days should determine if the local manufacturers will soon be returning to work.

By Jonathan Fulwell (Source: Matthieu Guinebault)