reporttotheministeroflabourbyemployment.docVIP

REPORT TO THE MINISTER OF LABOUR BY EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS COMMISSION ON THE CONTRACT CLEANING SECTOR, SOUTH AFRICA CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction The Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) has pleasure in presenting you with a report and recommendations on the Department’s investigation of the Contract Cleaning Sector, 2002 The amended Sectoral Determination No 1 presently regulates the Contract Cleaning Sector. Sectoral Determination No 1 came into effect in June 2002 came into effect on 1 June 2001. It prescribed wages for a one-year period, which expired on 30 May 2002. The present sectoral determination will be applicable and wage increases will be implemented only on promulgation of a new sectoral determination. The sector has no national bargaining council, but has a regional bargaining council in KwaZulu-Natal. Unions are not representative and this is one of the main barriers preventing the sector establishing a national bargaining council. However, there is a National Bargaining Forum consisting of the National Contract Cleaning Association (NCCA) and trade unions, which was formed in 1994. The NCCA has a membership of approximately 275 employers and trade unions represent approximately 22 000 employees. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) is the biggest employee representative within the National Bargaining Forum. The NCCA and unions negotiate wages annually and then forward their agreement to the Department of Labour as the basis for legislation. In 2002, due to protracted negotiations between parties in the National Bargaining Forum the wage agreement was signed only on 7 May 2002. This delay has impacted negatively on workers in the sector in that the new wage increases were not promulgated in time for 1 June 2002 implementation as originally planned. Conditions of employment are prescribed in previous determinations, hence there was no need to reconsider or change them. The focus is therefore