WATCH: Shoprite and Checkers workers down tools
In Kempton Park, workers could be seen singing and toy-toying, displaying placards outlining their grievances outside Shoprite on Central Avenue as well as outside Cavendish Glen Shopping Centre where Checkers is situated.
SHOPRITE and Checkers staff nationwide have downed tools to embark on a two-day strike (March 28-29) against unilateral changes to scheduling of working hours, among others, by the group.
In Kempton Park, workers could be seen singing and toy-toying, displaying placards outlining their grievances outside Shoprite on Central Avenue as well as outside Cavendish Glen Shopping Centre where Checkers is situated.
The legal protest action was called by the South African Commercial‚ Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) and trade union Cosatu.
“We are demanding late trading transport, no unilateral changes to scheduling of working hours without engaging with the union and that the 23 members who were unfairly dismissed at Checkers in Sandton last year April be reinstated,” said Saccawu national negotiations co-ordinator Motsumi Sekgabi.
Other grievances Sekgabi added were that the minimum working hours for part-time employees should be 144 a month and also that part-timers who have worked for the group for five years should be employed on a full-time basis.
“We hope to achieve the demands we are fighting for,” he said.
Sekgabi pointed out that the strike was legal and that the company had been served with a notice.
“This is a protected strike, the company is aware and they have retaliated with a lockout,” he explained.
A lockout strike is a temporary work stoppage or denial of employment initiated by the management of a company during a labour dispute. That is different from a strike in which employees refuse to work.
According to the national negotiations co-ordinator, the union did engage with the company, demanding the reinstatement of the 23 former employees who were dismissed last year.
“The company said they would consider re-employment with no back-pay and would look at placing the workers at other branches where there are vacancies and not at Sandton, we demand reinstatement.”
Peter Diamond, an employee at Shoprite on Central Avenue, Kempton Park was adamant that they would not back down on their demands.
“We demand a minimum of 40 hours per week for part-time workers, we don’t retreat on that one,” he said.
Sekgabi further added that they would have to sit down, plan and come up with a way forward, should their demands not be met.
