The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) is pleased to announce that thousands of its members in the leather tanning sector in South Africa can look forward to a 7.25% wage increase, with effect from 1 July 2023. This follows a recent settlement for an amending wage agreement for this sector, signed by our trade union on 1 June 2023.

This new collective agreement was concluded under the auspices of the leather industry bargaining council, following various rounds of negotiations held in April up until late May this year, with the South African Tanning Employers Organisation (SATEO). The agreement also includes the reduction of  learnership periods by 6 months, from the previously applicable 12 months. This means that workers on learnerships will earn the qualified rate after 6 months, instead of currently a year later.

The new collective agreement also provides for an expansion of this sector’s Family Responsibility Leave provision, to include “… when the employee’s biological grandparent is sick…”. In July last year, our collective bargaining efforts resulted in workers in this sector receiving a 7.25% wage increase.