Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Shoprite staff protest across SA for better work conditions
THOUSANDS of Shoprite workers across the country took to the streets yesterday to march against “unilateralism and super-exploitation of workers within the company”.
The national strike is in relation to transport for workers on early morning and night shifts.
The workers gathered at Keizersgracht and marched through the Cpe Town CBD under heavy police guard as they headed to a Shoprite at Golden Acre Mall in Adderley Street. Doors to the mall were shut, preventing shoppers from entering or exiting.
The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) led the strike, and was joined by Cosatu members, the Commission for Gender Equity and “members of other progressive formations and civil organisations”.
In spite of the protest, there were some workers in the store.
“We see the people in there, black and white, who are working while we are out here striking for better working conditions. When the time comes for them to be paid, they will only get money which will cover their transport fare, not money to put food on the table,” they said.
The Shoprite Group, which operates in 15 African countries, running over 2 600 stores, said on Thursday that it would “be able to keep our customers’ shopping experiences as pleasant as possible in the circumstances. Contingency plans are in place to keep stores open and trading as normal as possible.”
Colin Tyhalidikazi, a regional co-ordinator for Sac- cawu, said about 32 000 staffers had gone on strike nationally.
Tyhalidikazi added that the union had given the company seven days in which to respond to its list of demands.
“We demand better working conditions for our people. Shoprite must commit to ensuring safe and reliable transport for staff working the early shift as well as the night shift.”
He said the union demands “the reversal of all charges against the 23 staffers dismissed and all those people to be reinstated”.
The 23 were dismissed for refusing to “toe the line and adhere to the new roster, which would see them working fewer hours,” he added.
Other demands include “an immediate end to unilateral changes to working hours and an immediate end to the reduction of working hours”.
Cosatu provincial chairperson Motlatsi Tsubane said the union “fully supported the strike action” but lambasted workers for being “complacent and submissive”.
“It is time you stand up and fight against the ill-practices against you by Shoprite.”
A Shoprite worker, who did not wish to be named, told Weekend Argus she was glad that there is some action.
“Now people will really understand and believe us when we say the company that claims to be changing people’s lives is actually exploiting us. I am a mother of two; I have a family that relies on me to support them and on the R400 I earn a week at Shoprite. It is not easy,” she said.
A colleague said: “We mostly survive on loans and supplement our wages with our children’s grants. It really is not easy and we are now saying we are sick and tired of the exploitation by Shoprite.”
Shoprite stated it would attempt to resolve the issues presented by the unions.
“The group is disappointed that customers may not experience the service the group would like to deliver in the height of the festive season, but it respects the rights of employees to protest in a peaceful and lawful manner.
“It is a priority for the group to resolve the matters that have been discussed over a period of time through the appropriate channels in the interest of all our employees, as well as our customers,” the company said.