Saccawu members are demanding:
- an across-the-board increase of R900 or 12%, whichever is greater;
- a minimum wage of R8,000 a month;
- an improvement in sales commissions to 20% from 10%;
- a 13th cheque; and
- a moratorium on retrenchments for the duration of the agreement.
Massmart offered a 4.5% pay increase, which workers at Game and Builder's Warehouse had accepted earlier this year.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) called on other retail workers to support the Saccawu strikers and for consumers to boycott Makro stores this festive season.
“If we do not support each other on the picket line, we will meet each other on the unemployment line,” said Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla, adding that Saccawu's demands are reasonable and in line with the escalating cost of living.
Leroni said there was is no evidence of customer boycotts.
“Our stores are busy and customer footfall is typical of what we would normally experience over the festive season,” he said.
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Boycott Makro, urges Cosatu after wage talks deadlock
Image: Freddy Mavunda
South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) members have called for a one-day strike on Thursday after a breakdown in wage negotiations with Makro this week.
The company has made contingency plans and says stores have not been disrupted.
The latest protest in the prolonged dispute comes after Saccawu and Makro met at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) last Friday and on Tuesday.
Massmart group corporate affairs senior vice-president Brian Leroni said: “The union presented new demands at the CCMA on Tuesday. The Makro negotiating team requested time to discuss these with Makro management. The union rejected this request and walked out of the meeting.
“Our impression is that the union has no ability to [settle or interest therein],” Leroni said, adding that Makro’s position is the negotiations are now closed.
Saccawu members are demanding:
Massmart offered a 4.5% pay increase, which workers at Game and Builder's Warehouse had accepted earlier this year.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) called on other retail workers to support the Saccawu strikers and for consumers to boycott Makro stores this festive season.
“If we do not support each other on the picket line, we will meet each other on the unemployment line,” said Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla, adding that Saccawu's demands are reasonable and in line with the escalating cost of living.
Leroni said there was is no evidence of customer boycotts.
“Our stores are busy and customer footfall is typical of what we would normally experience over the festive season,” he said.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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