Maseru, Aug. 31 — Frustration erupted at Precious Garments on Monday as workers staged a strike, demanding answers over reduced working hours, months of incomplete wages and allegations that production was being sent to other factories at a lower cost.
The Maseru based factory came to a standstill after employees said they could no longer cope with financial strain that has persisted for the past eight months.
According to the workers, they have not been receiving full wages despite the factory continuing to receive materials for production.
The workers are demanding clarity on the challenges facing the factory. Their main grievance is being repeatedly placed on short time while they suspect that work is allegedly being diverted to other factories.
Adding to their concerns, employees claim they have not received severance pay and have not received adequate assistance from management in addressing their grievances.
Some workers also accused local management of failing to exercise sufficient authority over the factory’s Chinese managers, saying this had contributed to poor communication and unresolved issues.
Speaking to the Agency, Mrs. Mamonaheng Mabote of Ha Ts’iu, who has worked at Precious Garments since 1999, said the factory was allegedly diverting work to other factories because they were able to do it at a lower cost.
She claimed that while Precious Garments workers could earn around M250 for certain production work, other factories were being paid about M150 for the same work.
Mrs. Mabote said the uncertainty had left her with no choice but to hope for at least her severance package should the situation fail to improve. She noted that the factory’s problems have persisted for a long time and believes intervention from the Ministry of Labour would be necessary to resolve the dispute.
Another worker from Ha Mabote, who has been employed at the factory since 2015, described how the reduced income has made it increasingly difficult to meet basic needs.
She said it was now a struggle to pay rent, school fees and provide for her children. The worker said employees were left disappointed after failing to receive an immediate solution to their concerns and were instead told to either return to work or go home.
She added that the situation was particularly frustrating because management had previously assured employees that the available work would keep them occupied until November.
Responding to the concerns, Precious Garments Regional Manager Mr. Ts’epe Lengana said the issue of work being sent to other factories had been raised with the factory owners for some time, especially given the decline in available orders.
Mr. Lengana said he again raised the matter when the factory owners recently visited Lesotho and also discussed it with the owner on Monday.
He said the owner had promised to urgently look into the matter and consult other stakeholders involved before providing a response to workers on Tuesday.
He further explained that some factory owners from the same country often collaborate when sourcing production materials in order to reduce costs, including sharing shipping containers.
He said this practice sometimes results in work being distributed among different factories, an issue he has repeatedly raised with the workers.
The industrial action comes at a time when Lesotho’s textile and garment sector continues to face economic pressure and uncertainty over available orders. The situation has raised concerns among thousands of workers who depend on the industry for their livelihoods, with many factories reportedly struggling to secure consistent orders amid global competition and rising costs.
ENDS/TS/tl
