Footwear strike enters third day
THE footwear industry strike, which has affected major factories across the country, entered its third day yesterday as more than 10 000 employees in the sector downed tools over a wage dispute.
With the strike led by the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) set to intensify, the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) threw its weight behind leather industry workers. Sactwu is joined by the National Union of Leather Workers (Nulaw).
Fedusa general secretary Dennis George said: “Fedusa supports the protected strike by Nulaw, a Fedusa affiliate and the majority trade union in the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SA.”
He said thousands of striking footwear workers were demanding a wage increase of 9.5% based on the fact that VAT increase of 15% and the number of fuel price increases for 2018 had eroded the disposable income of South Africans.
Employers, however, offered 6.25%, resulting in a dispute and the subsequent protected strike, which affects footwear factories in major cities, such as Joburg, Pietermaritzburg, Oudtshoorn, Durban, Cape Town, George and Port Elizabeth.
George said footwear workers were concerned about the negative impact by the fourth industrial revolution on manufacturing of footwear in the country.
They demand a job protection fund be established to re-skill workers to operate the new modern manufacturing equipment and protecting jobs.
He said they intended opening a case with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) after five Nulaw members were admitted to hospital after they were allegedly shot with rubber bullets.
SA Footwear and Leather Industries Association (Saflia) executive director Jirka Vymetal responded to Nulaw’s claims of individual employers’ willingness to resolve the strike.
“Any individual company has the right to settle with the unions.
“Implications are that the differential they will settle for after the wage negotiations are concluded will stay in place for that individual company going forward,” said Vymetal.
“The offer of 6.25% that Saflia has put on the table across the board increase plus the expansion of the family responsibility to include sick spouse is still on the table.”