SATAWU cleaning strike over, wage deal signed
The South African Transport & Allied Workers Union (SATAWU)) representing workers cleaning sector has finally reached an agreement on wages with the Employer's Associations of the industry. The parties signed a 3 year agreement which includes an 8% across the board. The agreement entails the following:
- The wage increase from 1st December 2011 will be 8% for area A and 8.5% for area C
- Second year CPI (2% both areas)
- Full 13 cheque effective from December 2011
- Third year CPI ( 2% in area A) and (2.5% in area C)
- No worker will work less than 35 hours per week
- The Employers agreed to an in-principle commitment to a basic salary in the industry during the next round of negotiations.
The agreement was signed after three weeks of strike action which saw the CCMA intervening in the dispute. We hope workers will be thrilled with this agreement particularly the wage increase which is above the narrow expectations of conservative economist always wanting unions to accepts lower wage increases in line with inflation targeting. The Employers' Associations attempted to put forward an argument that the rate of wage increases has been higher than the rate of inflation over the past 5 years.
SATAWU cannot subscribe to this notion because of the following realities:
- South Africa is the most unequal country in the world in terms of income, and the most concrete way to address this inequality is to close the wage gap.
- In the absence of an adequate social wage, workers rely on their salaries to provide for all their needs and those of their families.
- As of the 1st July, Eskom has increased the electricity tariff by 30%; petrol is now over R10/litre and municipality rates and taxes have also increased by a large percentage
It has really taken long hard years for the union to convince employers to accede to an averagely wage increase. We have argued strongly in the past that wage rates of the cleaning workers should be impeccably based to cushion for vagaries of inflation and economic hardships.
We hope and trust that workers will be encouraged with the new shifts. Maybe we can move forward to concretely transform the industry. With this agreement parties will now concentrate on bigger issues of the industry such as the continued use of labour brokers and the lack of a policy framework on basic salary. The wage increase will go a long way in promoting change in the industry. So far, the signing of this deal will paint positive developments in the industry as it will improve the conditions of workers.
We expect our members to return to work as early as Monday.
Statement issued by Mamokgethi Reagoikanya Molopyane, SATAWU national spokesperson, August 28 2011
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