An estimated 25 000 striking Pick ‘n Pay workers will march on Friday in major cities countrywide, their union said.
The marches in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Cape Town and Bloemfontein were due to start shortly after 11am, said Mduduzi Mbongwe, spokesperson for the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu).
Pick ‘n Pay could not immediately comment on how the strike would effect its business.
Said Mbongwe: ”We are showing management that we are serious about our demands. For now the protest action is only for today, but if there is no response from management by next week we will embark on an indefinite strike.”
He added that workers would be back at work on Saturday. The union served the retailer with a strike notice on Thursday.
This followed ”the failure in the wage negotiations between Saccawu and the company”, the union said.
Talks between the union and the retailer at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) also deadlocked recently.
Saccawu has asked for the greater of a 12% or R500 pay increase, with a minimum wage of R3 000 per month. The company has offered a R385 across-the-board increase and has dismissed the minimum wage demand.
A wage deal between the parties, valid for three years, ended late last year. While Pick ‘n Pay wanted to negotiate a similar deal, Saccawu wished to negotiate every year.
On Thursday the retailer said stores would be ”open for business as usual”. – Sapa