Clover management and workers at odds over ‘illegal’ strike action

A WAGE dispute has led to workers at Clover in Port Elizabeth embarking on a strike until two demands are met.

However, the dairy company said all wage-related disputes were resolved last week and any workers involving themselves in industrial action were doing so illegally.

Clover legal, secretarial and human resources executive Jacques van Heerden said members of the General Industry Workers’ Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) issued a formal 48-hour strike notice on Tuesday last week, advising that its members would commence with industrial action on Friday last week.

“Subsequent to the issue of the strike notice, [Clover] management and GIWUSA representatives met in an effort to resolve the wage dispute. On Thursday, Clover and GIWUSA representatives in principle reached an agreement on wages and also agreed that the strike notice would be suspended until further notice,” Van Heerden said.

However, employees affiliated with GIWUSA proceeded with industrial action at one of Clover’s Gauteng sites on Friday.

And yesterday, GIWUSA members at the company’s Perseverance site, between Port Elizabeth and Despatch, joined the strike.

“Contingencies have been put in place to limit the impact of the illegal action on operations,” Van Heerden said.

GIWUSA Port Elizabeth representative Zandisile Ndwayana said they had not received satisfactory feedback from Clover’s management on their demands of an 11.5% increase and long-service bonuses.

“We started with a list of 15 demands which was decreased to eight, and now we only have two demands,” Ndwayana said.

“And until we have received adequate feedback on those demands we will continue with this strike.”