Clothing and textile trade union, Sactwu, has made a breakthrough in the struggle to get local companies to ‘buy local’. Since last year, the union has been campaigning to get clothing retailers to buy more stock locally to preserve and create jobs.

As Numsa News went to print, more than 48 retail or franchise names with over 6000 stores had signed the agreement and committed themselves to buy and promote local clothing. These included: Truworths, Mr Price, Edgars, Foschini, Woolworths, Shoprite Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, Edgars, Sales House, Jet, Markhams , and Pepkor.

However, the following companies continue to refuse to sign the agreement: Dion, Game, Makro, Aca Joe, Jenni Button, Vertigo, Urban Degree and Hilton Weiner, Diesel and Zoot.

Sactwu is planning further actions to put pressure on them to sign. These could include demonstrations, rallies, boycotts and siyalalas at or near “warehouses of unpatriotic retailers”, says Sactwu.