Vavi says unions set to intensify Clover protest
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) picketed outside
the Department of Trade and Industry in Pretoria on Thursday.
This comes as Saftu together with General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) workers call for a boycott of Clover products.
Workers want the scrapping of retrenchments at Clover, the 20% wage cut, and the removal of the Israeli Central Bottling Company.
Speaking to protestors, Saftu general-secretary Zwelizima Vavi said they will be meeting on Thursday evening to plan ways to intensify their protests.
“By the way tonight at 7 o’ clock we, Saftu office bearers will be meeting Giwusa and Fawu national office bearers to plan a harder program of action. There will be no compromise, there will be no turning back, we not giving them an inch, if they thought that they can walk all over us they better think again.”
Vavi said they are reiterating their call for all South Africans to boycott all Clover products.
“The call we making to every worker in South Africa, whether those workers are employed or not. Don’t buy any of the Clover products until this company has agreed to go back to Israel. Don’t buy their milk, their cheese, their juices don’t touch any goods that are coming from Israel to South Africa.”
On Wednesday a group of protestors stormed into a Pick n Pay and started snatching Clover products off of the shelf.
Calls to boycott Clover products are mounting up, as protesters stormed Pick n Pay in Observatory. They filled trolleys with Clover products putting stickers on the products, calling for consumers to boycott Clover. @TheCapeArgus @IOL #BoycottClover pic.twitter.com/4xODy3fjXe
— Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) January 12, 2022
Vavi added that the call is also aimed at the middle class who still have a “little conscience left”.
“This is the only simple solidarity we need from the rest working class and our friends, some of the middle-class citizens of South Africa who still some little conscious left in their souls.
“We are asking them when you go to your Woolworths when you go anywhere to shop, look at the products and don’t touch products that are produced in Israel or produced by Clover. Do not support apartheid, do not support racism against the people of Palestine.”
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