The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union said on Saturday it was considering extending its strike at Woolworths into next week.
Saccawu spokesperson Mike Abrahams said the union had decided at a meeting on Friday to extend notice of the strike and had served the notice on the company.
”This means that if workers decide to continue with the strike from Monday it will continue to be a legal, protected strike.”
He said meetings would be held throughout the country on Sunday to obtain a mandate from workers.
The meetings would also consider solidarity strikes, mass national protests and consumer boycotts.
Abrahams said 65% of Woolworths stores had been affected by the strike. He said the union was still awaiting a response to its demands from the company.
An interdict had been obtained against workers hoping to picket at the Waterfront in Cape Town and the Pavilion in Durban.
Earlier in the week, Woolworths said it was business as usual.
On Thursday, Zyda Rylands, chief operating officer, said: ”There have been minimal disruptions and trading is normal”.
Woolworths and the union entered into a agreement in 2005 relating to a joint verification process which the union did not comply with, she said.
”At the last verification process in November 2007 union representivity was confirmed at less than 15%.”
Saccawu began a week-long strike on Wednesday. It has demanded that Woolworths recognise it as being a sufficiently representative union body.
Saccawu has also demanded an end to unilaterally determined increases. – Sapa