Eastern Cape footwear workers join national strike

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 Hundreds of footwear workers in Port Elizabeth, George and Oudtshoorn, have joined their counterparts across the country in a national wage strike.

Members of the National Union of Leather and Allied Workers embarked on a protected national strike on Monday.

The Fedusa-affiliated union says the strike affects about 164 footwear companies and approximately 10 000 workers.

Nulaw general secretary, Ashley Benjamin, says workers want a seven percent pay hike and also an increase of 2 days paid into their holiday bonuses each December.

Further, he says workers want employers to establish a fund that will assist in re skilling them should they be retrenched because of the implementation of new technology.