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Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act No. 66 of 1995)

Notices

National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry

Extension to Non-Parties of the COVID-19 Lockdown II Collective Agreement

1. Preamble

 

The parties

 

1.1. Record that the primary intention of this collective agreement is to ensure that workers are not left destitute with no income during a COVID-19 lockdown period.

 

1.2. Record their deep concern about the escalating rate of COVID-19 infections in our country, and globally, and the consequential devastating effect on our domestic economy, in particular its negative consequences for the labour market.

 

1.3. Are of the firm belief that in order to mitigate the anticipated and devastating negative implications of COVID-19, an urgent and decisive collective response is required to protect the interests of the stakeholders in our industry.

 

1.4. Wish to take pro-active steps to protect the interests of employees in our industry and country, their families and the future sustainability of all sectors in the fashion manufacturing industry and its related pipeline operations, during and in consequence of the COVlD-19 lockdown period.

 

1.5. Are of the view that they cannot just rely on government to fight this battle alone, but that we have a patriotic duty to play a supportive role by first drawing on our own resources, meagre and difficult as they might be, as a constructive contributory effort to combat this threat to the well-being of employees in the fashion- and related industry pipeline, and in our country at large.

 

1.6. Wish to encourage and strengthen the role of our country's centralised bargaining regime, by using the current COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to expand the role of the clothing industry bargaining council beyond just that of mainly being a collective bargaining- and dispute resolution institution, by demonstrating that it can deliver additional value-added services to our industry and the country at large, in moments of national crisis.

 

1.7. Wish to promote greater and mutually beneficial co-operation between the various labour market institutions in our country, by practically encouraging greater sharing of their respective resources, such as infrastructure, towards the goal of greater efficiency in the execution of their core mandates and common goals (such as greater and better compliance with our country's employment laws and regulations).

 

1.8. Are of the view that we need to do whatever we can to protect jobs in our industry and country, especially during crisis periods like which COVID-19 is imposing on us.

 

1.9. Agree that additional intentions of this agreement is to encourage better health and safety regulation at the workplace, provide a prevention and support environment for Council employees, strengthen the organisational rights of the trade union, promote gender equality and combat gender-based violence at the workplace and to improve other already existing value-added services of the Council, such as its health care clinic system, as well as the enhancement of the Council's value-added services.

 

1.10. Acknowledge that the Council's "COVID-19 Lockdown Collective Agreement" as was published in Government Gazette Number 43152 on 26 March 2020 requires adjustment in order to make it more effective.

 

1.11. This document constitutes a single agreement and shall be referred to as "The COVID-19 Lockdown II Collective Agreement" and/or "this agreement".

 

1.12. The parties agree to be bound by the provisions of this preamble to this agreement, which forms a substantive part of this agreement.