The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Friday said that the recently announced closure of clothing manufacturer Rex Trueform’s Salt River plant threatened to put another 1Â 000 people out of work in the Western Cape and bring the clothing, textile and leather industries one step closer to complete collapse.
The union federation said that these sectors have been hemorrhaging jobs at an alarming rate, with approximately 100Â 000 formal jobs in the past 10 years, 17Â 000 in the past 12 months alone, and 800 during the first month of this year.
The trade union added that every family on the Cape Flats had a member who at one time or another has worked for Rex Trueform.
“Every family in South Africa who has bought formal wear for their fathers and sons has proudly worn the products made by the workers of Rex Trueform. Now, we are told that imports from sweatshop economies are cheaper than the labour of our women workers. Even after twenty years of service, a qualified machinist at Rex Trueform earns R520 per week,” Cosatu said in a statement.
Cosatu added that such statistics were particularly ominous in the context of what it termed the “national unemployment crisis”, which it said had left over 40% of economically active adults without jobs (based on the expanded definition of unemployment).
According to the union, a recent skills audit conducted by the Clothing, Textile, and Leather Footwear Seta showed that almost 70% of employees in the industry were women.
In Dimbaza in the Eastern Cape, which is one of the poorest communities in the country, the clothing industry had been virtually wiped out, Cosatu claimed.
The industry in that area employs less than 800 workers whereas, three years ago, it provided approximately 6 000 clothing industry jobs, the union said.
In this area, a qualified machinist earns R282 per week, making the clothing industry one of the lowest paid manufacturing industries in South Africa, Cosatu’s statement noted.
Cosatu said that the sustained strengthening of the rand, and fast-tracked tariff reductions at a rate quicker than that required by the World Trade Organisation has caused South Africa’s clothing and footwear markets to be flooded with relatively inexpensive goods made by Chinese workers under sweatshop conditions.
A recent investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation showed that in China most clothing and textile workers earn less than R200 per week for 15 hours a day with one day’s leave per month.
“No family in China, India or anywhere should suffer such exploitation and unfair labour practices. No person who supports dignity, equality and fairness should buy products made by labour under these conditions, especially when they destroy jobs in poor communities in South Africa and elsewhere. At Queenspark, a subsidiary of Rex Trueform, a large quantity of the store’s stock comes from China,” the union noted.
Cosatu said: “It is time to act to save our jobs and our communities! For almost two years, The South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) has been working to negotiate a procurement agreement with retailers such as Woolworths, Truworths, Edgars and Foschini that would require them to ensure that all suppliers comply with fair labour standards and would commit them to buying a certain proportion of their goods from local manufacturers.”
The union has accused South Africa’s largest retailers of blocking an agreement in an effort to protect their profits.
“Ironically, the Southern African Labour Research Institute estimates that over the past three years alone, Truworths, Woolworths, Edcon and Mr Price have amassed super profits of approximately R8,3-billion.”
Cosatu, the South African Council of Churches and their affiliates, as allies in the “Save the Jobs Campaign”, said they stood with the workers of Rex Trueform, their families and with the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
“We support Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool and all other community leaders who have pledged support to stop the closure of Rex Trueform. We call on all concerned citizens from whatever background of culture, race and religion to join in a rally outside Rex Trueform on March 23.”
The union called upon the management of Rex Trueform to explore with Sactwu other business options that would avoid the closure of the Salt River plant and the loss of 1Â 000 jobs.
Cosatu also called upon the management and shareholders of Rex Trueform to commit to source at least 75% of their goods from local manufacturers who obey the labour laws and uphold the Constitution of the country.
Retailers such as Woolworths, Truworths, Edgars and Foschini were also called upon to commit to boycotting “sweatshop-produced goods” and buying at least 75% of their inventory from local manufacturers and to sign a code at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) that commits to 75% local procurement.
The union also said that the retailers and their board members should consider a meeting with faith leaders to discuss and consider a process that will lead to the signing of a code of agreement at Nedlac.
Cosatu also called upon the South African government to immediately implement the safeguards to defend the clothing and textile industry from unfair competition and to mobilise other developing nations within the World Trade Organisation to demand fairer trade policies.
The union called on all community organisations to join the “Save Jobs Coalition” and all people to support the “Save Rex Trueform” rally on March 23.
Rex Trueform said on Friday that it had no comment to make and that it was presently consulting with the unions. – I-Net Bridge