‘Spar wars’ battle rages on

THE Spar Group and Spar Guild have hit back at any suggested complicity in bringing Department of Labour (DoL) charges against independent Spar retailers, the Giannacopoulos Group (GG).

This after GG director Harry Giannacopoulos came out firing last week after being handed down a fine of close to R12-million by the CCMA for various labour law violations at supermarket franchises in Gauteng and North West.

The CCMA ordered compensation be made to workers for, among others, unlawful deductions and noncompliance to minimum wage regulations.

Giannacopoulos responded by accusing the DoL of being a ‘gun for hire’ for the Spar Group, dismissing the CCMA order as unjust.

While the Spar Group and the Spar Guild of Southern Africa did not comment on the enrolled matter between the department and the GG, spokesperson Mandy Hogan on Friday denied the legitimacy of Giannacopoulos’ allegations.

‘They own their stores and employ their own staff - Spar does not employ their staff,’ she said.

While Giannacopoulos gave the assurance that his employees are happy at the workplace and communicated this to the DoL, Hogan said his own employees had instituted the complaints against his group.

Asked for response, Giannacopoulos said he stood steadfastly behind his previous statement.

Meanwhile, the protagonists will face off on 13 March in the Pietermaritzburg High Court as the attempt to terminate the Giannacopoulos Group’s membership of the Spar Guild continues – a battle that reached a peak in October last year with an unsuccessful challenge for the takeover of GG stores in Empangeni and Richards Bay.