Massmart workers to embark on indefinite strike over wages, working conditions
Stores under the umbrella of the Massmart Group include Game, Makro, Cambridge and Builders Warehouse.
Workers affiliated to the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU) will embark on an indefinite strike at Massmart over wages and what they believe to be unilateral changes to working conditions.
Stores under the umbrella of the Massmart Group include Game, Makro, Cambridge and Builders Warehouse.
The strike is set to start on Friday.
The union’s deputy general-secretary Mduduzi Mbongwe says the strike is protected.
“There is currently a dispute in wages and working conditions. We demand a R500 across the board increase and Massbuild is at R320 or 4.1 % increase. Other areas, there is unfair labour practice wherein the company is placing workers on unpaid 7 days isolation whenever they have been embarking on lunch time pickets that were a build up to this national strike.
“The Massmart dispute involves mass retrenchment of workers as a result of the group’s ‘store reorganisation’ exercise that has seen more than 380 workers retrenched. The remaining workers affected by the store reorganisation have seen reduction in working hours and days that is accompanied by a significant reduction of wages and benefits of these workers.”
The union is also planning to mobilise a secondary strike that will affect large supermarkets.
Massmart South Africa spokesperson Brian Leroni say they learnt of the strike through the media.
“We don’t fully understand the reason why SACCAWU is striking, since they haven’t had direct communications with Massmart. Unfortunately the strike certificate is only valid for restructuring and if they are striking over wages and working conditions then the strike would be illegal.
“We have implemented contingency plan last week and we have many employees who work with us who are on contracts and are familiar with our stores and we have mobilised those employees.”
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