Strike by clothing industry set to continue today

By Ofentse Mokae
27 September 2009

The national wage strike by more than fifty-thousand clothing workers is set to continue today. It will be the 9th working day of the strike.

Last Sunday, the union and the employers received an offer from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation & Arbitration (CCMA) to intervene in the dispute, in terms of Section 150 of the Labour Relations Act.

In a statement Secretary General Andre Kriel says the parties accepted this offer and consequently met in Johannesburg at the CCMA Head Office last Tuesday, in formal Conciliation for which the CCMA had appointed two senior Commissioners.

“At this meeting, after having heard the parties respective positions, the CCMA tabled a process framework proposal for further engagements at a follow up meeting proposed for Friday this week,” Kriel said.

Kriel says the parties eventually met in CCMA facilitated conciliation in Cape Town over the weekend, but regrettably no settlement could be found.

“The employers had regrettably not accepted the CCMA process framework proposal and this proved to be a major stumbling block towards a settlement in the discussions over the last few days,” Kriel added.