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

Notices

National Textile Bargaining Council

Extension to Non-Parties : COVID-19 Lockdown 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 the lockdown period, as was announced by the President of South Africa on Monday 23 March 2020.

 

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 textile manufacturing industry and its related pipeline operations, due to the national lockdown which has now been declared.

 

1.5. Are of the view that they cannot just rely on government to tight 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 it might be, as a constructive contributory effort to combat this threat to the well-being of employees in the textile-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 Pandemic as an opportunity to expand the role of the textile 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 crises.

 

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).

 

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

 

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

 

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