Retailers Pick ‘n Pay and Woolworths have come out against the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (Cosatu) planned pickets, part of Cosatu’s campaign against casualising, retrenchments and foreign goods.
”It seems that Cosatu does not have the facts about Pick ‘n Pay correct, and maybe it is generalising,” Pick ‘n Pay personnel director Frans van der Walt said on Friday.
Earlier this week, during an address to about 3 000 workers in Qwa Qwa in the eastern Free State, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi was quoted as saying that all companies retrenching workers and continuing to keep them as casuals would be put on the blacklist of Cosatu’s ”worst enemies”.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation quoted Vavi as saying these companies included Pick ‘n Pay, Checkers, Cash ‘n Carry and Woolworths.
”We cannot understand how Pick ‘n Pay can be targeted, as we do not retrench employees, but rather believe in and practise job creation,” said Van der Walt.
During the past year, the company has created 4 000 new ”permanent and sustainable” jobs.
”This does not count for any jobs that may have been created in South Africa as a result of new markets that we have opened.”
Only 1,35% of the company’s employees are casual workers and that is mainly their choice due to their personal circumstances, he said.
”Pick ‘n Pay supports local manufacturers to the hilt … less than 5% of our products sold are imported, mainly due to the fact that it is not available or cannot be manufactured in RSA [the Republic of South Africa].”
‘We cannot understand this’
Woolworths said it cannot understand why it is being targeted.
”We cannot understand this as we are committed to the local industry and providing our employees with a compelling value offer in order to retain the best talent in retail,” said Simon Susman, chief executive of Woolworths.
The company does not currently employ casuals, having permanently employed more than 6 000 previously casual workers ”some time ago”, Susman said.
Woolworths complies with, and sometimes exceeds, the minimum standards described in sectoral determinations. Sectoral determination sets out rates of pay and conditions of employment for various industries.
”All our employees enjoy additional benefits such as membership of Woolworths’ retirement fund, general life assurance, funeral funding, access to HIV/Aids counselling, testing and anti-retroviral treatment, training and development opportunities and additional leave benefits.
”Most importantly, our employees are guaranteed minimum hours of work, which enables them to access other benefits in the market.”
Woolworths said it prefers to obtain goods locally, due to the shorter lead times they require.
While it believes a competitive and productive local textile and clothing industry is essential, it also wants to give its customers value.
”Woolworths currently procures 95% of our foods locally and 80% of our clothing locally, making Woolworths one of the biggest supporters of local South African industry.”
Cosatu said that next week, thousands of workers in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo will stay away from work and join protests as part of the federation’s ”Jobs and Poverty” campaign to put pressure on the government and business.
Unions believe that buying locally is a practical step that businesses could take to create jobs and that, in the clothing retail sector, could also save thousands of jobs.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union’s website said that it believes that previous protest action on the matter has already prevented a number of planned retrenchments in the mining and clothing sector.
Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said details of the pickets against the retailers are still being finalised, with no dates set yet. — Sapa