OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 8.30pm.
THE strike by employees belonging to the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union on Monday forced the Edgars group to close certain operations, including shops in the Johannesburg CBD.
Workers toyi-toyied outside shops, and several scuffles with police ensued, resulting in four workers being injutred and 10 arrested.
Accusations and counter-accusations of violence flew between the parties.
There were also major disagreements over the numbers of those on strike. Despite having closed distribution centres in Johannesburg and Durban, and the Edmail mailing operation, Edgars human resources director Nigel Unwin said only 300 of 8000 workers are on strike, and that only the Free State and Gauteng are marginally affected.
But Saccawu assistant general secretary Herbert Mkhize said 3000 were protesting on Monday: “Unwin forgot to add another zero to his 300 estimate … shops were shut down and the strike is set to continue until management is prepared to come to the table with genuine proposals.”
Unwin complained that a striker had been arrested for assaulting a customer, while Mkhize related how management at Sales House in Bree Street had beaten up some employees.
Despite Saccawu saying that between 55 and 85 strikers have been arrested in Kempton Park for violating a court order barring them from intimidating customers and fellow employees, police say only seven people have been arrested for intimidation, failure to comply with a court order and refusal to give their names to the police.
The workers demand that management lift a wage freeze for the 1998/99 financial year, but the Edgars group says no, pointing to a 28% drop in profits. The group includes outlets such as Jet, Cuthberts, Sales House and ABC.
National Party Gauteng leader Johan Kilian said the ANC should stop the strike as a threat to economic stability.