About 27 000 Pick n Pay employees are preparing to go on a protracted strike after the company failed to meet their demands, their union Saccawu said on Tuesday.
“We have applied to the CCMA [Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration] for the establishment of picket rules in preparation for a protracted strike action,” the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union said in a statement.
A CCMA sitting last Wednesday could not agree on the number of workers to be allowed to picket inside stores and workers’ access to store toilet facilities and canteens during the strike.
The parties would meet again on October 26 to draw up picket rules.
The union said the employer was expecting workers to not get wage increases in 2011 and 2012, but merely an adjustment in their wages equal to the inflation rate.
Workers however wanted a R550 a month increase — or 12%, a 10% staff discount on basic food items, increased working hours to about 120 per month for part-time workers, and a one-year wage agreement.
The union also wanted an end to the use of labour brokers and the establishment of a centralised bargaining forum for the retail and wholesale sector.
“While the company has been silent on the workers’ wage demands and in an attempt to buy loyalty with the hope of deflating workers’ determination to go on strike, it decided to reinstate the annual year-end function, suspended four years ago because it was too costly.
“This will cost the company almost R4-million.”
Saccawu said such a move, at the time when the company pleaded poverty and resisted workers’ “reasonable” demands for wage increases, was “disingenuous” and should be viewed as an attempt to break the impending strike planned by workers.
“This is a clear display of hypocrisy and reveals the company’s intentions to enforce low wages upon already poor workers.
“We reject this attempt from management to try and bribe workers and call on the company to engage in honest and meaningful negotiations with Saccawu,” the union said.
Pick n Pay was not immediately available for comment.
Saccawu members would continue to hold meetings over the next two weeks to prepare for strike action and consider the company’s position on picket rules. – Sapa