Listed beauty, health and pharmacy retailer New Clicks is facing strike action by members of the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu), who are set to embark on what they termed would be a “protracted” stayaway over wage differences starting on Friday.
According to New Clicks spokesperson Graeme Lillie, New Clicks and Saccawu have been at the bargaining table since May, but have been unable to resolve their differences over the past five months despite having also been through the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
New Clicks management has received the official strike notice, he confirmed on Wednesday.
Lillie said Clicks has offered a wage increase of R225 per month to its staff who are Saccawu members, which is an increase of 8,8% over 2004 levels and well above the current inflation rate. Saccawu has so far rejected the offer.
In 2004, Clicks paid its staff a monthly increase of R222,50, a 9,3% increase.
“Clicks remains committed to resolving the wage dispute through negotiation and dialogue,” the retailer said in a statement. “The company will adopt a strict policy of ‘no work, no pay’ towards staff during any strike action.”
It added that management has implemented contingency plans in all stores across the country to limit any possible inconvenience to customers, should Clicks be affected by the industrial action.
The proposed strike does not affect the professional pharmacy staff of Clicks. However, New Clicks management said that approximately 2Â 900 Clicks staff are affected by the wage negotiations and proposed strike, out of 5Â 100 total staff across the Clicks chain nationwide.
Saccawu national organiser Thabo Mahlangu said close to 2Â 700 Saccawu members will participate in the strike. According to Mahlangu, the strike will affect 266 Clicks stores and three distribution centres nationwide.
Mahlangu said Saccawu is demanding a R300 or 10% wage increase across the board, far more than the R225 Clicks is offering.
“We are still open to negotiations at the moment, if the company is willing. We as a union have even suggested a high-level meeting with the company, which would include its directors, but unfortunately the company refused,” Mahlangu stated.
He added that the union has resorted to a strike after wage negotiations deadlocked at the CCMA.
New Clicks shares were 2,75% or 22 cents higher in late trade on Wednesday, last quoted on the JSE at R8,22 from R8 at Tuesday’s close, with about 1,5-million shares having changed hands. — I-Net Bridge