The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Friday called on its members to boycott all Shoprite Checkers stores.
”Cosatu is calling on its members not to buy from Shoprite until the strike is resolved,” Cosatu’s regional chairperson Sdumo Dlamini told a 2 000-strong crowd of protesters in Durban.
He told the group, who earlier marched down Durban’s West Street amid a heavy police presence, that asking for a R300 a month increase was ”not unreasonable”.
The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) was demanding that workers receive an increase R300 or 10% in salary, whichever is greatest.
Workers went on strike on Thursday after negotiations over wages deadlocked on Monday night. Saccawu on Thursday claimed that of Shoprite’s 52 000 employees, 35 000 were Saccawu members and were participating in the national strike.
Dlamini said: ”We are told that Shoprite is able to pay R57-million to [Shoprite CEO] Whitey Basson while the lowest-paid worker is paid less than R1 000 a month.”
Saccawu national chairperson Mike Tau accused Basson of also having a stake in companies that were Shoprite suppliers.
”Basson’s annual bonus will be R90-million next year,” he told the crowd outside the West Street Shoprite.
Saccawu was also demanding a minimum wage of R2 500 and that it implement ”an open and transparent equity plan”.
The memorandum, received by Shoprite’s KwaZulu-Natal deputy divisional manager Willem Hunlun, gave the retail chain 48 hours to respond to its demands.
”Failing which our action will be intensified and extended to other organs of society, which may lead to an eventual boycott of the entire Shoprite Checkers empire throughout Africa.”
Police said the march proceeded peacefully. Former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s trademark song umshini wami was also sung briefly as riot police in helmets and behind shields blocked the entrance to Shoprite’s House and Home store in West Street. — Sapa