The South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers’ Union’s (Saccawu) talks with JSE-listed hotel group City Lodge have deadlocked, the union said on Monday.
”Saccawu reached a deadlock with the City Lodge group at the CCMA [Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration] over wage increases and conditions of employment,” the union said in a statement.
City Lodge workers were demanding a 14% wage increase across the board, a minimum wage of R4 300, an increase in the company’s contribution to medical aid by 5%, and time-off for office bearer shopstewards in line with the union year planner — so that workers could effectively carry out their union duties.
According to Saccawu, the City Lodge Group offered a 10% increase, a minimum wage of R4 000, nine days for office bearers and no changes to the company’s medical aid contribution.
”This is another in a range of disputes and deadlocks reached between the union and various companies; and like most other disputes in the sector it is informed by low wage levels and declining living standards as a result of rising inflation, interest rates, increases in petrol and electricity prices and the explosion of increases in food prices,” the union said.
Shop stewards at the City Lodge Group were calling meetings with members to report back and to decide on the way forward, the union said.
The City Lodge Group was unable to comment immediately. – Sapa