Workers at retailer Woolworths are at an advanced stage of preparing for a protected strike, their trade union said late on Thursday.
”This decision taken by the union is the culmination of ongoing frustration from Woolworths management after a drawn out and currently unresolved organisational rights dispute,” according to a South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) statement.
The company had ”consistently and continuously” frustrated all attempts by the union to conclude a relationship agreement.
As a result enormous powers were vested in the hands of shop floor, line and branch managers.
This left ”workers having no representation to defend themselves”, Saccawu said. The union also maintained that Woolworths this year planned to place all workers on flexible contracts.
It added that industrial action would commence ”in the next few weeks”.
”Saccawu has already approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to conclude a determination on strike rules.”
Woolworth’s spokesperson Zyda Rylands said on Friday that the retailer had been ”very consistent in our approach to our employee rights of freedom of association and our willingness to engage with any union if it is sufficiently representative”.
”We would also like to confirm that all of our 18 000-plus employees have a permanent employment relationship with Woolworths.”
This included company benefits which the company was continuously reviewing to improve its employment proposition.
Woolworths said it recognised the right of a union to organise its members and embark on a protected strike. It would strive to ensure that such action caused minimal disruption to customers and employees and that their rights were respected at all times.
”We have and will continue to engage with any union in good faith,” Rylands said. – Sapa