[PICTURES] 20 Makro workers injured at Black Friday picket
Twenty workers affiliated to the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) have been injured during an altercation with the police during a Black Friday picket at Makro in Germiston.
The union is demanding a 12% wage increase across the board or R900, a minimum wage hike to R8,000 per month, an increase in sales commissions from 10% to 20%, an increase in monthly working hours from 160 to 195 hours, and an R100 uniform allowance.
The union also wants a 13th cheque in December for all employees.
Saccawu spokesperson Sithembele Tshwete says the police fired rubber bullets at workers without any provocation.
One of the workers was rushed to the hospital after sustaining an injury on the chest.
"We went to Makro Germiston for picketing as well as a protest outside the store. We were granted permits by the police themselves to conduct a protest outside Makro, now there was a squabble in terms of which gate we were going to be using, whilst we were still talking to the police that, workers then gathered around that conversation, curiously so to find out what was happening.
“In the midst of this, police unleashed rubber bullets and stun grenades, as well at teargas to the workers, unprovoked.
We condemn this, Saccawu has never in any of the industrial action that we have undertaken behaved violently, or in a way that warrants this.“
Tshwete says the union will take legal action.
"Saccawu condemns this dastardly act by the police in the strongest possible terms. Violence is bright to workers who have been conducting themselves peacefully. We will take this up with the law and bring those who bludgeoned our workers to book. We will not relent from our legitimate demands on this company.”
Meanwhile, Makro says Saccawu members responded in a highly confrontational manner after police requested to clear the road.
"This resulted in SAPS taking action to disperse the Saccawu members, who responded by disrupting traffic on the highway adjacent to the store,” it said in a statement.
“Saccawu union leadership has ignored requests to intervene in the matter to restore good order.
“As a consequence, Makro has applied for an urgent court interdict to enforce agreed picketing rules and responsible conduct by Saccawu members.”
Makro says the Labour Court has issued an interdict ordering Saccawu and its members to "immediately stop all unlawful conduct including disrupting Makro store operations, all acts of intimidation and failure to follow picketing rules”.
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