Fawu calls for nonviolence in ABI strike

Members of the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) and its general secretary, Katishi Masemola, have called on all members to refrain from violence and intimidation during strike action against cool drink manufacturer Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI).

In a statement on Tuesday, the union said members and others participating in the labour action "should refrain from orchestrating, promoting, encouraging, supporting, participating in, or condoning criminal conduct, including assault, intimidation of employees of ABI or damage to its property or that of its employees, to the extent that any individual participating in the strike is guilty of such conduct."

Fawu informed members that it had been ordered to communicate this information in the media and through internal channels of communication.

This followed a court order granted by the Labour Court on January 13 2010.

It added that the union and its general secretary had been ordered to file affidavits with the Registrar of the Court and serve copies thereof on ABI's attorneys within 10 days of the granting of the court order.

In the affidavits, they had to set out the steps taken by them to comply with the order as well as the steps taken by them to avoid the recurrence of further criminal conduct of the kind referred to in the order.

Around 2500 ABI workers remain on strike after wage talks between the company and Fawu failed to yield an agreement.

The company has offered a 7.8 percent pay rise while the union initially demanded a hike of 9.5 percent.

During the latest round of talks under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, the union said it was willing to drop its demand to 8.5 percent but the company would not agree to this.

ABI is the soft drinks division of SAB Miller and around 6500 beer workers are set to join the strike action on January 27.

ABI has maintained that the month-long strike action has had no effect on its business with workers at 60 percent of its sites back on the job.

On Tuesday, however, Fawu said it was planning a World Cup-linked campaign against Coca-Cola products.