Notices > National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry > Main Collective Agreement > Part I : Provisions for the Non-Metro Areas

Any expressions used in this part of the Agreement which are defined in the Act shall have the same meaning as in the Act. Any reference to an Act includes any amendments of such Act, and, unless the contrary intention appears, any reference to one gender shall include the other, further, unless inconsistent with the context —

In this part of the Agreement any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, has the meaning so assigned, unless the context indicates otherwise —

"Act"

means the Labour Relations Act, 1995;

"agreement"

includes a collective agreement;

"Bespoke Tailoring Industry"

means the making of outer garments for and to the measurements of individual persons but excludes the making of tailored outer garments for the execution of special measure orders from dealers whose customers" measurements are taken by or are the responsibility of such dealers and the making of all classes of garments including quantity production tailoring made to the order of any department in the national or provincial sphere of government; Transnet and the South African Airways or local government;

"CCMA"

means the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration established in terms of section 112 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995;

"Clothing Industry” or “Industry"

means, without in any way limiting the ordinary meaning of the expression, the Industry in which employers and employees are associated for the making of all classes of the under mentioned items of Apparel /Clothing/Garments:

Belts (manufactured from cloth), Braces, Brassieres, Caps, Collars, Corsetry, Cummerbunds, Gloves, Handkerchiefs, Hats, Hosiery (including ladies’ stockings, pantihose and socks), Knitted Outerwear, Knitted Underwear; Nightwear (including pyjamas), Outerwear, Protective wear (including overalls and wetsuits), Scarves, Shirts, Suspenders, Ties (including bowties), and Underwear;

A. and includes:

all operations incidental thereto and consequent thereon and all succeeding processes or operations performed in connection therewith carried on by such employers and any of their employees irrespective of the process or method used in such making and irrespective of whether such processes or operations are performed on the premises of such employers, or elsewhere;

all types of hand sewing operations (including beading and embroidery), whether by hand and/or machine, on garments and/or parts of garments and irrespective of whether or not such operations are performed by such employers and any of their employees or by an establishment or persons undertaking such work on behalf of such employers and any of their employees;

3.	any of the aforementioned items made for quantity production tailoring made to the order of any government department, provincial administration, S A Airways, Telkom, Transnet or local authority;

4.	any part(s) of garments whether by means of a knitting process or otherwise;

5.	design room services, irrespective of whether or not such services are provided by such employers and any of their employees or by an establishment or persons undertaking such work on behalf of such employers and any of their employees;

6.	fully-fashioned and/or semi-fashioned garments knitted on circular, flat or full-fashioned machinery;

7.	screen process printing on garments and parts of garments performed in a clothing, textile and/or knitting establishment;

8.	tailored outer garments for the execution of special measure orders from dealers whose customers’ measurements are taken by or on the responsibility of such dealers;

9.	the changing of labels, irrespective of whether or not such operation is performed by such employers and any of their employees or by an establishment or persons undertaking such work on behalf of such employers and any of their employees;

10.	the making of button holes, irrespective of whether or not such operation is performed by such employers and any of their employees or by an establishment or persons undertaking such work on behalf of such employers and any of their employees;

11.

the ironing of garments and/or parts of garments irrespective of whether or not such ironing is done in the establishment in which such items were manufactured or in an establishment or by persons undertaking such work on newly manufactured garments on behalf of such employers and any of their employees;

12.	the making up of garments from knitted fabric in the establishment in which the fabric was knitted;

13.	the making up of sample garments and/or parts of garments, irrespective of whether or not such operation is performed by such employers and any of their employees or by an establishment or persons undertaking such work on behalf of such employers and any of their employees;

14.	the marking-in and/or cutting of garments or parts of garments, irrespective of whether or not such operation(s) are performed by such employers and any of their employees or by an establishment or persons undertaking such work on behalf of such employers and any of their employees; and

15.

the packing of garments and/or parts of garments irrespective of whether or not such packing is done in the establishment in which such items were manufactured or in an establishment or by persons undertaking such work with newly manufactured garments on behalf of such employers and any of their employees.

B. but excludes:

1.	Belts, Braces, Garters, Suspenders and Armlets manufactured from leather;

2.	Boxing Gloves.

3.	retail dressmaking, i.e. the making of single garments to the measurement of individual persons;

4.	retail millinery, i.e. the making of hats in shops for sale in such shops and the making of single hats to the measurement of individual persons;

5.	Tailor-made garments for individual persons, provided such garments are not manufactured in a factory.

"clothing sector"

means the Clothing Industry excluding the Garment Knitting sector;

"commission work"

means any system under which an employee receives additional remuneration calculated on the value or volume of sales effected or on the value or number of orders submitted to and accepted by the employer;

“complying employer”

means an employer whose company or concern is fully registered with the Council or a council which amalgamated to form the National Bargaining Council, which has given effect to the applicable Council Main and Benefit Fund Collective Agreements in each of its establishments or has received due exemption therefrom, who is up to date with Council and any Benefit Fund contributions, trade union, employer subscriptions or who has implemented a signed Council-approved arrears repayment plan and who has registered all permanent and contract employees in the Council;

[Definition substituted by section 11(1) of Notice No. R. 421, GG44572, dated 14 May 2021]

"council" or “Bargaining Council”

means the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry registered in terms of Section 29 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995;

"daily wage"

means an employee"s weekly wage divided by the number of days on which he or she ordinarily works in a week;

"day"

means a period of 24 hours measured from the time when the employee normally commences work;

"emergency work"

means work which is required to be done without delay owing to circumstances for which the employer could not reasonably have been expected to make provision and which cannot be performed by employees during their ordinary hours of work;

"employee"

means an employee as defined in s213 read with s200A of the Act;

"establishment"

means any premises or part thereof, on or in connection with which one or more employees are employed in the clothing and garment knitting sectors;

"Exemptions Committee" or "Regional Exemptions Committee"

means, for the purposes of this part of the Agreement, the Executive Committee of the Council or the Exemptions Committee established for purposes of considering applications for exemption received in terms of clause 31 of this part of the Agreement;

"experience"

means the total period of employment an employee has had in the Bespoke Tailoring or the Clothing and Garment Knitting Industry, whether within the Republic of South Africa or elsewhere, in any capacity other than as a driver of a motor vehicle, or a mechanic, and shall include—

(a)	in the case of a clerical employee, all periods of employment which such employee has had as a clerical employee, irrespective of the trade, industry or undertaking in which such experience was gained;

(b)	in the case of a presser or folder who has been in the laundry trade, seeking employment as a presser, ironer or folder in the clothing industry, half of his or her total experience in the laundry trade;

(c)	in the case of all other employees, each completed period of six months" training in any work similar to that for which wages are set out in this part of the Agreement;

"fully fashioned garment"

means a garment of which the form or body, body and sleeve, or sleeves, back and front, are fully shaped on a knitting machine;

"garment knitting sector"

means that sector of the industry in which employers and employees are associated for the making only of all classes of hosiery (including socks, ladies’ stockings and pantihose), knitted outerwear and knitted underwear;

"hourly wage"

means an employee"s weekly wage divided by his weekly ordinary hours of work;

"incapacity"

means inability to work owing to any sickness or injury other than sickness or injury caused by an employee"s own misconduct: Provided that any such inability to work, caused by an accident or scheduled disease for which compensation is payable under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, 1993 (Act No. 130 of 1993), shall only be regarded as incapacity during any period in respect of which no disability payment is payable in terms of that Act.

"laundry trade"

means the trade in which employers and employees are associated for the purpose of laundering, cleaning or dyeing all types of woven, spun, knitted or crocheted fabrics or articles made from such fabrics, including all operations incidental thereto or consequent thereon, if carried out by such employers and their employees;

"law"

includes the common law;

"medical practitioner"

means—

(a)	a person entitled to practice as a medical practitioner in terms of section 17 of the Medical, Dental and Supplementary Health Service Professions Act, 1974 (Act No 50 of 1974); or

(b)	a traditional healer;

"midwife"

means a person registered or enrolled to practice as a midwife in terms of section 16 of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No. 50 of 1978);

"month"

means a calendar month;

"monthly wage"

means an employee"s weekly wage multiplied by four and a third;

"motor vehicle driver"

means an employee who is engaged in driving a motor vehicle and for the purpose of this definition "driving a motor vehicle" includes all periods of driving and any times spent by the driver on work connected with the vehicle or the load and all periods during which he or she is obliged to remain at his or her post in readiness to drive.

"new employer"

means a business newly established in the clothing and garment knitting sector, during the first 12 months of its existence in the sector; Provided that if an existing business undergoes a change of name or ownership (including a change of directors, members or partners) while largely retaining the same employees and/or clients, it shall not be regarded as a new employer. [See also the proviso to clause 4(1)].

"night work"

means work performed after 18:00 and before 06:00 the next day;

“non-metro”

means all areas in the Republic of South Africa except those excluded in clause 1(1)(b) of this part of the Agreement;

"ordinary hours of work"

means the hours of work prescribed in clause 8 but if by agreement between an employer and the employee the latter works a lesser number of ordinary hours, it means such shorter hours;

"overtime"

means the time that an employee works during a day or a week in excess of ordinary hours of work, including overtime worked on a Sunday;

"public holiday"

means all public holidays declared as such in terms of the Public Holidays Act, 1994 (Act No. 36 of 1994);

"piece-work"

means any system by which earnings are calculated upon the quantity or output of work performed;

"regional chamber"

means a Chamber or Sub-Chamber appointed by the Council;

"remuneration"

means any payment in money or in kind, or both in money and in kind, made or owing to any person in return for that person working for any other person, including the State, and "remunerate" has a corresponding meaning;

"retail dressmaking"

means the making of single garments for girls and women to the measurement of individual persons, not as special measure orders from dealers whose customers" measurements are taken by or are the responsibility of such dealers;

"retail millinery"

means the making of hats in shops for sale in such shops and the making of hats to the measurements of individual persons;

"short time"

means a temporary reduction in the number of ordinary hours of work owing to slackness of trade, shortage of raw materials, vagaries of the weather, a breakdown of plant or machinery or buildings that are unfit for use or is or are in danger of becoming unfit for use;

“wage"

means that amount of money payable to an employee in terms of clause 4(1) in respect of his or her ordinary hours of work: Provided that if an employer regularly pays an employee in respect of such ordinary hours of work an amount higher than that prescribed in clause 4, it means such higher amount, and "weekly wage" has a corresponding meaning;

"week"

in relation to an employee, means the period of seven days within which the working week of that employee ordinarily falls;

"work place"

means any place where employees work;

Definitions of the occupations, capacities and duties of employees in the Clothing Industry which encompasses the Clothing and Garment Knitting Sectors thereof:

(a)	Definitions of the occupations, capacities and duties of employees in the Clothing Sector Only

(i)	"Category A Employee" means an employee engaged in any one or more of the following duties or capacities in the clothing sector:

"assistant storeperson"

means an employee other than a labourer who, under the supervision of a storeperson, assists in issuing or receiving goods;

“belt operator”

means an employee engaged in riveting buckles, bending belt buckles, punching holes for buckles and prongs, pressing prongs into buckles, stapling buckles onto belt;

"belt person"

means an employee other than a learner mechanic, engaged in fixing machine belts, oiling bearings, filling oil cans and similar work and assisting the establishment"s mechanic;

"boiler attendant (Clothing)"

means an employee under the supervision of a foreperson or factory manager, who is responsible for maintaining the water level and steam pressure of a boiler in an establishment, and who may stoke, rake, slice and draw the fire in such boiler;

“box maker"

means an employee engaged in operating a cardboard box making machine;

“buckle coverer”

means an employee engaged in covering buckles by hand or machine and/or trimming and cleaning belts after lining and belt have been machined together;

"cleaner (Clothing)",

means an employee engaged in cutting or trimming off loose ends of cotton left in the garments by previous operators;

"coat-turner"

means an employee engaged in turning coat facings out after machining;

"despatch packer"

means an employee who, under the supervision of a foreperson or clerical employee, is wholly or mainly engaged in making up orders and in packing goods for transport, including the sealing of cellophane bags by hand or machine, or delivering in connection with the despatch department of an establishment;

“eyelet puncher”

means an employee engaged in eyelet punching and letting;

“former”

means an employee engaged in putting material between two paper looms (formers) and preparing for steambox in hand or loom pleating process and shall include putting prepared formers in steam box and taking them out again in hand or loom pleating;

"general worker (Clothing)"

means an employee who is engaged in one or more of the following occupations:

(a)	binding, wiring or strapping boxes or bales or other containers;

(b)	carrying or stacking goods;

(c)	delivering letters or messages or light parcels within the factory premises;

(d)	folding or inserting mail, affixing postage stamps or labels for posting;

(e)	general gardening work;

(f)	loading or unloading vehicles, trailers or international standard containers;

(g)	making and serving tea or similar beverages and washing crockery, cutlery and kitchen utensils;

(h)	marking, stencilling or affixing labels on boxes, bales or other containers by hand;

(i)	mixing rubber solution for rubberised garments;

(j)	mopping or washing of toilet facilities;

(k)	operating a duplicating or addressograph or franking machine;

(l)	sweeping with a broom or dusting and wiping down chairs and tables;

(m)	washing or polishing of floors and staircases by machine or by hand.

"hat presser"

means an employee operating an automatic hydraulic hat press used solely for shaping hats;

"hat sprayer"

means an employee engaged in spray painting hats,

"ironer"

means an employee engaged in the ironing of fusible interlinings with hand iron positioning and spot fusing of fusible interlinings with special machine;

"layer-up"

means an employee engaged in laying up materials by hand or machine preparatory to cutting;

"marker"

means an employee engaged in marking the position of pockets, buttons and/or button holes;

"operator"

means an employee who operates a —

(a) hand operated button-covering machine;

(b) a shrinking press;

(d) semi-automatic press stud-machine; or

(e) zip machine.

"packer (Clothing)"

means an employee engaged in packing garments into boxes or other suitable wrappings or tying them into bundles prior to their being sent to the dispatch department;

"patent turner"

means an employee engaged in turning out or over the edges of collars, facings, bands, cuffs, pockets or flaps whether by hand or machine;

"pinner"

means an employee engaged in pinning unfinished or finished garments;

“pleater”

means an employee engaged in guiding material with paper through automatic pleating machine and shall include raking material out of looms in hand or loom pleating process;

"plain sewer (Clothing)"

means an employee engaged solely in performing by hand one or more of the following operations:—

(a)	tacking permanent turn-ups;

(b)	tacking waistband linings;

(c)	sewing on hooks and eyes, tickets or press studs;

(d)	fastening catch in tops of trousers;

(e)	sewing on buttons;

(f)	making and sewing on hangers;

(g)	felling crutch linings in trousers;

(h)	felling bottoms and waist-band linings, and various odds and ends of sewing;

(i)	felling necks of vests;

(j)	fastening edge stays and odds and ends of sewing;

(k)	felling bottoms of linings or seams of same already basted into position;

(l)	felling bindings;

(m)	fastening facings inside already basted in position;

“rubberiser”

means an employee engaged in rubberising, i.e. waterproofing processes or the work of smearing rubber solution upon seams or edges and rolling them over with a small wooden hand roller, cleaning off any rubber solution, painting seams or oilskins and waterproof hats, and shall include spreading of P V C (plastic solution) in waterproofing process or on raincoats and protective wear and waterproofing seams;

"sorter (Clothing)"

means an employee engaged in sorting out garments or parts of garments for the various operations;

"stamper"

means an employee engaged in stamping the size or identity work numbers on garments or parts of garments, or on any article connected with packaging or despatching of garments;

“swatch cutter”

means an employee engaged in cutting travellers’ swatches;

"winder (Clothing)"

means an employee engaged in the winding or unwinding of lace, embroidery, braids, ribbons, bindings and elastic;

"under-presser"

means an employee other than a presser employed in pressing processes.

(ii)	"Category B Employee" means an employee engaged in one or more but not limited to the following duties or capacities in the clothing sector:

"baster"

means an employee engaged in hand sewing in setting a coat or parts of a coat into position preparatory to other operations or underbasting, i.e. hand sewing of linings of coats into position preparatory to sewing the edge seams;

“bowmaker”

means an employee engaged in making bows for dresses;

"clicker"

means an employee who cuts out parts of garments from dyes using a mechanical or hydraulic press;

"conveyor-feeder"

means an employee responsible for feeding prepared parts of garments on to a conveyor for further operations and who may be assisted by one or more sorters;

"cutter (Clothing)"

means an employee who cuts out all articles of wearing apparel, linings, trimmings or interlinings by any method;

"examiner (Clothing)"

means an employee who examines finished garments for quality;

"factory clerk"

means an employee who is engaged in one or more of the following duties or capacities:

(a)	calculating piece-work or bonus payments from production schedules;

(b)	checking attendance records or recording particulars of employees at work or absent from work; preparing wage cards or envelopes for subsequent use by another employee;

(c)	checking or recording for production control;

(d)	checking invoices or other documents and copying same by machine or hand;

(e)	issuing machine parts, tools, oil and other equipment from a workshop store and/or recording same;

(f)	issuing material, lining, canvas, trimming, buttons, cotton and zips to the different departments of an establishment and/or recording same;

(g)	issuing trimming, lining, cotton and zips to employees of an establishment from a sub-store and/or recording same;

(h)	receiving into stock, goods, material, trimming, tools and other equipment and checking goods received against specifications of goods ordered such as quantity, size and quality;

(i)	recording particulars of materials or general stores consumed or to be consumed or keeping stock records;

(j)	recording particulars of waste;

Provided that a calculator may be used in carrying out one or more of the above duties as well as the filing of documents;

"finisher”

means an employee who performs one or more of the following operations by hand:

(a) putting pads or wadding into shoulders of coats;

(b) fastening or serging sleeve-heads;

(d) felling silk facings already basted into position;

(e) making button-holes by hand;

(f) felling sleeve-head linings, holding such in position with the fingers;

(g) beader or embroiderer by hand.

"fitter-up"

means an employee who takes the outside of garments together with the cut out linings (called trimmings) and adjusts the outside and insides together accurately so that parts may go forward to the machine to be put together correctly;

"folder"

means an employee engaged in the folding of garments by machine or by hand and buttoning up of garments;

“lace machinist”

means an employee who operates an automatic lace, embroidery or monogramming machine;

"lay copier"

means an employee engaged in placing of numbered patterns on a lay to conform with a numbered photograph, diagram or plan;

“NES”

means an employee not elsewhere specified in this part of the Agreement;

"pleating setter"

means an employee engaged in setting of pleats on automatic pleating machines;

"presser (Clothing)"

means an employee employed in pressing the finished garment by hand or machine;

"seam welder"

means an employee who joins seams by any method other than by a thread-sewing machine;

"sewing machinist (Clothing)"

means an employee who performs by sewing machine any operation in the making of clothing;

"shaper (Clothing)"

means an employee engaged in shaping the lapels and collars of coats preparatory to under basting;

"sloper"

means an employee engaged in marking or trimming the shape of the necks in the shirt section, preparatory to other operations.

(b) Occupations, capacities and duties of employees in the Garment Knitting Sector Only:

(i)	"Category C Employee" means an employee engaged in any one or more of the following capacities or duties in the garment knitting Sector:

"assistant dyer"

means an employee who, under the supervision of a dyer, is engaged in mass-measuring or mixing colour substances or attending or operating machines used in the dyeing or finishing processes;

"colouring measurer"

means an employee who, under the supervision of a dyer, mass-measures dye-stuff or other chemicals;

"handyperson"

means an employee in a garment knitting establishment who does minor repairs or adjustments to machinery or equipment, other than machinery or equipment directly used in the manufacture of the products of an establishment, and who may effect minor repairs or renovations to buildings but who does not perform work normally done by an artisan;

"knitter”

means an employee who operates one or a set of knitting machines and who may change needles, sliders and sinkers and straighten tricks, including chain and card control and running on after press-offs;

"knitting cutter"

means an employee who by means of a power-driven cutting machine, knife or shears is engaged in cutting garment lengths, fronts, backs or sleeves of fully fashioned garments or trimmings, who marks or cuts attachments, points of necks or armholes or trimmings and who may use a template for this purpose;

"linker"

means an employee who is engaged in operating a linking machine for toe-closing of stockings or socks or for joining parts of fully fashioned garments or attaching trimmings to fully fashioned garments or parts of garments;

"loader"

means an employee engaged in the transferring of stitches onto the needles of a bar or magazine;

"mender"

means an employee who is engaged in repairing knitting faults in garments or parts of garments, blanks, stockings or socks;

"plain sewer (Knitting)"

means an employee engaged solely in performing by hand one or more of the following operations:

(a)	tacking permanent turn-ups; tacking waistband linings;

(b)	sewing on hooks and eyes, tickets and/or press studs;

(c)	fastening catch in tops of trousers;

(d)	sewing on buttons;

(e)	making and sewing on hangers;

(f)	felling crutch linings in trousers;

(g)	felling bottoms and waist-band linings, and various odds and ends of sewing;

(h)	felling necks of vests;

(i)	fastening edge stays and odds and ends of sewing;

(j)	felling bottoms of linings or seams of same already basted into position;

(k)	felling bindings and fastening facings inside already basted in position.

"sewing machinist (Knitting)"

means an employee who by means of a sewing machine is engaged in any operation in the making of clothing including button, buttonhole and hemming machinist and shall include an employee who operates an overlocking machine;

"warper"

means an employee who prepares warps from cones or bobbins for a warp knitting or similar machine and prepares the beam;

"warp knitter"

means an employee operating one or a set of warp knitting machines and who may correct faults, change or straighten needles, fill bars or make minor adjustments to such machines.

(ii)	"Category D Employee" means an employee engaged in any one or more of the following capacities or duties in the garment knitting sector division:

"backwinder"

means an employee who recovers yarn from a knitted article by winding it back onto a bobbin, comb, magazine or spool;

"boiler attendant (Knitting)"

means an employee who, under supervision, maintains the water level and steam pressure in a boiler and who may make, maintain and draw the fire in such boiler;

"cleaner (Knitting)"

means an employee engaged in cutting or trimming off loose ends of cotton or cloth left on garments or parts of garments by previous operators;

"despatch packer"

means an employee who, under the supervision of a despatch clerk, is engaged in packing, assembling, marking, addressing and mass-measuring goods for despatch or delivery;

"draw threader"

means an employee who separates knitted articles by removing the drawthread;

"examiner (Knitting)"

means an employee who examines finished garments for quality;

"former"

means an employee who is engaged in placing or removing stockings, socks or garments on or from forms;

"general worker (Knitting)"

means an employee who is engaged in one or more of the following duties:

(a)	binding, wiring or strapping boxes or bales or other containers;

(b)	carrying or stacking goods;

(c)	cutting up or otherwise destroying rejected hosiery or fabrics;

(d)	delivering letters or messages or light parcels within the factory premises;

(e)	folding or inserting mail, affixing postage stamps or labels for posting;

(f)	general gardening work;

(g)	lime-washing or colour-washing buildings or other structures;

(h)	loading or unloading vehicles, trailers or international standard containers;

(i)	making or maintaining fires, or removing refuse or ashes;

(j)	making and serving tea or similar beverages and washing crockery, cutlery and kitchen utensils;

(k)	marking, stencilling or affixing labels on boxes, bales or other containers by hand;

(l)	mixing rubber solution for rubberised garments;

(m)	mopping or washing of toilet facilities;

(n)	operating a duplicating or addressograph or franking machine;

(o)	sweeping with a broom or dusting and wiping down chairs and tables;

(p)	washing or polishing of floors and staircases by machine or by hand.

"operator"

means an employee who is an operator of a—

(a)	calendar machine;

(b)	slitting machine;

(c)	brushing, raising or cropping;

(d)	dye machine;

(e)	dyeing or hydro-extracting machine.

"packer (Knitting)"

means an employee engaged in closing or sealing parcels and cartons prior to despatch and delivery;

"presser (Knitting)"

means an employee who is engaged in the ironing or pressing of finished garments by hand or machine, excluding open steam pressing or boarding of garments on automatic continuous steam belts;

"runner” or “floorwalker"

means an employee engaged in carrying garments or parts of garments from one place to another within the workplace;

"sampler"

means an employee engaged in the making up of sample cards;

"seamer"

means an employee who is engaged in joining seams in stockings or socks by means of a seaming machine;

“sorter (Knitting)"

means an employee who is engaged in sorting or grading hosiery into pairs according to length and size or sorting trimmings, materials or parts of fully fashioned garments;

"turner"

means an employee engaged in turning out or over the edges of collars, facings, bands, cuffs, pockets or flaps whether by hand or machine;

"yarn changer"

(pig tailor) means an employee who is responsible for loading and unloading the yarn on knitting machines, or an employee who brings yarn to and from the machines, removes fabric and cleans the machines and may stop the machine to change the yarn and may restart the machine only if he or she stopped the machine for the purpose of changing the yarn and shall not carry out any other functions of the knitting machine operator.

"yarn winder"

means an employee who is engaged in operating a yarn-winding machine;

(c)	Occupations, capacities and duties of employees in the Clothing and Garment Knitting Sectors:

"Category E Employee" means an employee engaged in any one or more of the following duties or capacities:

"assistant foreperson"

means an employee who under the supervision of a foreperson, is in charge of the employees, other than clerks, storepersons and dyers, in an establishment, who exercises control over such employees and who is responsible to the foreperson for the efficient performance by them and their duties;

"dyer"

means an employee who is responsible for and engaged in dyeing or other finishing processes and who decides on the nature, mass, blending and application of the dyes or other chemicals to be used;

"mechanic"

means an employee engaged in the installation, repair and maintenance of boilers and machinery;

"pattern maker"

means an employee engaged in designing or making master patterns;

"supervisor"

means an employee who, under the supervision of a foreperson is in change of a group of employees in an establishment and who is responsible for the efficient performance by them of their duties and who may supervise set leaders or team leaders.

(d)	Other occupations, capacities and duties of employees in the Clothing and Garment Knitting Sectors:

"assistant head cutter"

means a person who assists the head-cutter in creating designs, styles, fashions and in making patterns, grading patterns and planning cutting jobs;

"band knife cutter"

means an employee who cuts out all articles of wearing apparel, linings, trimmings or interlinings with a band knife;

"clerk”

means an employee who is engaged in:

(a)	writing, typing and filing;

(b)	operating a calculating machine, computer terminal, punch-card machine or accounting machine;

(c)	any other clerical work and includes a cashier, despatch clerk, storeperson, shipping clerk, invoice clerk, workstudy clerk and telephone switchboard operator but does not include any other class of employee elsewhere defined, even though clerical work may form part of such an employee"s work.

“foreperson”

means an employee who carries the responsibility for the correct and efficient execution of the work entrusted to his/her care in a factory or a department of a factory;

"head cutter"

means a person who actively supervisors the cutting room and designs, styles and fashions makes patterns, grades patterns and who plans cutting jobs;

"motor vehicle driver"

"watchperson"

means an employee engaged in guarding premises, buildings or other property.

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

Notices

National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry

Main Collective Agreement