Chapter 6: Discussion of Results
6.2. Discussion of results based on variables studied
6.2.1. Biographical variables
The following analysis will provide information around the age, gender, educational levels and the familiarity of CMT employers with clothing industry. Also, information will be provided around the gender, race and complement of the CMT workforce.
6.2.1.1. The age groupings of CMT employers
The majority of CMT employers, 70%, fall within the age bracket of thirty-six to fifty years old. This on its own does not mean much but together with other biographical information it will as this period coincided with the apartheid and many non whites found employment in the clothing industry. During the 1970's and 1980's the clothing industry grew at a local and national level resulting in a growth in employment which implicates the above age group (Netshitomboni, 1996).
6.2.1.2. Gender analysis of CMT employers
The majority of CMT employers are male (86.7%) which is interesting as the majority of workers in the clothing industry are females. If the male to female ratio is considered in this industry women dominate, therefore, taking this ratio into consideration there should be more women owning factories than this study indicates.
6.2.1.3. The education levels of CMT employers
The majority of individuals (76.7%) completed high school while 20% attended a technikon and 3.3% obtained a postgraduate degree from a university. It was found that one of the determinants of success in a firm is the education of management, however, one must also consider the experience that these individuals bring to the business (Salinger, Bhorat, Flaherty, and Keswell, 1999).
6.2.1.4. Familiarity with the clothing industry
The majority of CMT employers (66.7%) have previously worked in the clothing industry in one form or another while only 33.3% have not previously worked in this industry. As the majority of CMT employers (66.7%) have worked in this industry previously it supports the statement that these workers were possibly retrenched and to survive, opened a CMT factory (Netshitomboni, 1996). Some of the positions previously held by 66.7% of the subjects as determined by the questionnaire were;
supervisors, administrator, machinist, quality assessors, production managers and machine mechanic.
6.2.1.5. Complement of full-time workers
Most of the subjects (40%) employ between 21-30 full-time workers, eight (26.7%) employ between 31-40, two (6.7%) employ 41-50 workers, while eight (26.7%) employ over 51 full-time employees. This question allows one to determine the number of workers that are permanent and the impact that unemployment will have if CMTs continue on their downward spiral. In a study conducted by Salinger et al, (1999), it was found that a CMT factory that was operational for more than thirty years with a staff of fifty had to downsize to a staff of fifteen with only two being permanent employees. From this we can conclude that it is the workers who suffer when this industry does not perform well and this is especially true for CMTs as labour is dominant in this area.
6.2.1.6. Complement of part-time/casual workers
Twenty-two subjects (73.3%) employ below ten part-time employees, seven subjects (23.3%) employ 11-20 part-time workers while one employer (3.3%) employs between 21-30 part-time workers. As can be seen from Salinger et al, (1999), large
clothing manufacturers had to downsize while others restructured in order to outsource orders to CMTs due to the pressures of intense global competition. As such, formal employment became a concept that seemed out of date and casualization became the order of the day. However, those that suffered from this move away from formal employment were women, as they dominated this industry (Soko, 2005).
6.2.1.7. Determination of workforce based on race
In KwaZulu Natal (KZN) the majority of machinists were Indian men but during the 1960's this role was taken over by Indian women. During the 1970's in KZN, Indian women were replaced by black women (Meer, 1990). The respondents in this study mirrored the above results as twenty-eight subjects (93.3%) claimed that the majority of their workers are black while two (6.7%) subjects claimed that their workforce consisted of Indians. The possible reason for this migration is that during the apartheid not many jobs were available for non-whites especially women and the clothing industry became the stepping stone for many in terms of proper job prospects.
6.2.1.8. Determination of workforce based on gender
All respondents claimed that the majority of their workforce consisted mainly of females. South Africa's experience differs from other countries where jobs were initially segregated along the lines of gender but in South Africa jobs were rigidly determined along racial lines and thereafter, gender lines. This type of historical background can be the reason for the composition of the CMT industry today as it is dominated by African, Coloured and Indian women (Meer, 1990).
The data helps to form a picture as to who will be most affected by unemployment CMTs continue on a downward spiral. The trend in the workforce is that black women dominate in KwaZulu Natal while coloured women dominate the factory settings in the Western Cape.
According to Hart (1995), many factory workers are older women who are often the sole breadwinners in their family. As such Van der Westhuizen (2003) claims that
negative social effects of the government's decision on liberalization. Without their salary from these factories their families will be pushed to poverty lines and will also put pressure on the community as a whole. Therefore, the government needs to take a closer look at CMTs to determine ways in which one can improve its functioning and ensure clear communication with these employers.