Africa-Press – Lesotho. The clothing textiles workers at the Thetsane Industrial Area lost it over the salary hike demand which had not seen the light of the day since last year.
They want the minimum wage to be gazetted by the Minister of Employment and Labour Hon. Moshe Leoma. The last gazetted minimum wages were in 2019. The workers took their
frustration and blocked the roads making it difficult for the traffic to run smoothly. Their demonstrations included struggle song and burning of textiles
in the roads. The workers union demand 20 percent salary increment. In 2020, the then Minister of Employment and Labour Hon. Keketso Rantšo did not gazette the
minimum wage over alleged disagreements with some parties involved in the negotiations processes. Contacted for comment the Minister of Employment and Labour said when he assumed the office earlier
in February, he could not gazette the minimum wage which his predecessor, as he received the advice to the effect, could not publish retrospectively. Asked when the minimum
wage will be gazetted, the Minister said after 30 days as per the law counting from Friday 14 when the Wages Advisory Board published a notice seeking the public’s
opinion on the minimum wages. Before making recommendations about the wages to be paid to the workers, the Wages Advisory Board through the Labour Code Wages publishes a public notice wherein members
of the public submit their recommendation for minimum wages. Leoma further mentioned that there is a ministerial taskforce which is working on the workers’ grievances.
He said on Wednesday this week, the ministers sub-committee is expected to have an audience with the workers and employers albeit at separate occasions.
For their part, the workers union, the National Clothing and Textile and Allied Workers Union (NACTWU)’s Secretary General Samuel Mokhele said until the workers have had their demands
met, they will remain in the streets. Mokhele said the situation culminated into the strike as they fail to reach an amicable solution with the government.
The reporters drew blank in an attempt to solicit a comment from the factory employers as the line was bad during the interview with David Chen of TZICC.
His mobile was unavailable after attempts to resuscitate the line. One of the workers who spoke to Informative Newspaper Lerato Rasephei an employee at the
Lesotho Evergreen Textiles (Pty) Ltd said they want 20 percent for the previous and the current year. She said they will not relent in their strike until their wages have been gazetted.
Rasephei also expressed concern over alleged non-corporation amongst their unions. Also, for her part, ‘Makhadebe Ramathatane who works at Global Garments said they have downed tools
as they are seeking the ‘living wages’. She said despite working hard their salaries do not cover the basics such as food and they do not afford their children’s school fees.
Last year, about 253 garment factory workers were fired after following to industrial action that they had embarked on demanding government’s M800 subsidy and were re-absorbed
on new contracts and were subjected to three month trial period. Textiles and apparel industry is one of the industries which the government benefit through Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), an agreement which sees the export of duty-free products to the United States market.
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