SACCAWU+announce+August+10+strike,+boycott+of+Shoprite+Group




 * MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE SACCAWU SHOPRITE DISPUTE OVER WAGES, CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AND UNILATERAL IMPLEMENTATION OF LATE TRADING**

SACCAWU members employed by Shoprite have been engaged in lunch hour pickets effective from 18 July 2006. The pickets, which are but just a component of a protected industrial action, were in response to Shoprite's unreasonable refusal to grant workers an **increase of a mere R300.00 or 10%,** whichever is greater and also improve their other conditions of work.

As we informed members of the media fraternity in the previous Media Briefing, the parties’ failure to reach agreement, despite the attempts by the CCMA; were by no means informed by Shoprite's inability to afford but rather informed by the company's capitalistic principle position and sheer naked greed to maximise profits at the expense of workers, who by the way are the generators of the very profits. Further to this, Shoprite arrogantly demands that workers should agree to a divisive yet inexplicable and contemptuously discriminatively staggered increase. In terms of their proposal, those workers doing duty in suburbs and rich predominantly white residential areas should be afforded a higher increase, whislt those in townships, rural and poor black residential areas should be afforded less increase.

The reasonable, just and fair demand by workers is informed by the reality that the wealth they have generated for Shoprite can indeed afford and sustain an increase of R300.00 or 10%, given that the same company granted its CEO an increase of 372% in 2005, with the nerve to grant him even more increase this year (said to be in the region of R99 million), we find it not only unreasonable but equally incomprehensive and downright sickening. In fact **//Shoprite Holdings (SHP) said that due to an exceptional profit of a capital nature of approximately 150 million Rand as a result of the sale of a property portfolio, earnings per share for the 12 months ended June will be 35% to 45% higher than those of the prior comparative period//****. (**Extracted from the Sundaytimes.co.za). **//Retail group Shoprite Holdings on Monday (10 July 2006) reported that for the 12 months to July 2 it had increased turnover by 12.8 percent to approximately R33.5-billion, compared to the compared to the corresponding 12 months of 53 weeks in 2005.//**

Workers further demand that **all non-fulltime workers be offered uniform, at the cost of the company**. This is not unreasonable since Shoprite demands of the same workers to be presentable and well groomed at all times. Who in their right minds would expect any person to pay for clothes that they otherwise would not have the slightest interest in? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the sheer madness in Shoprite's refusal to offer uniform to non-fulltime workers whilst expecting them to wear uniform, not just any but a specific set of uniform.

For years now we have been attempting to secure a collective agreement that would regulate the relationship between the parties. Despite the basics of such agreement being dictated by the LRA, the parties still have to develop and design the details that are in line with their own and unique circumstances. Yet again, Shoprite has been digging its heels, unreasonably so, to enter into and **conclude a Relationship Agreement**. This intransigence is premised on their desire to hold the relationship to ransom and thereby create a climate to render the Union a subordinate partner in the relationship.

The other issue in dispute is the **Agency Fee** which Shoprite stubbornly refuses to negotiate and agree, to despite the LRA providing the framework and directive from which the parties should engage. Shoprite instead foolishly proposes that the Union directs the Shoprite National Shopstewards Council to withdraw levies paid by members and further agree that Shoprite rather contributes R1.50 per non-fulltime worker and R2.50 per fulltime worker to the Shoprite Shopstewards Council levy account. We are still trying to make out what this company takes us for when they refuse to grant an increase but subtly boast about their financial capacity in this regard! This, we view as an insult to the extreme!

In a quest to satisfy their insatiable appetie for super-profits and the greed, Shoprite resolved to introduce super-exploitative, insociable and very inhumane working conditions in the form of **unilateral late trading**. Whilst this would effectively mean that workers would knock off at hours that are out of the ordinary, the company has steadfastly refused to engage in consultation with the Union. Of course such refusal is influenced by the fact that the Union has questioned the issue of safe and reliable transport, child care, compensation for night work as well as other areas resulting from this work reorganisation. Workers are not like furniture that can be moved around depending on the mood of their employer, hence the dispute in this matter!

Workers and members of the progressive organs of civil society marched in all provinces on 28 July 2006, in protest against the company's shocking ill-treatment of its employees and handed over memoranda outlining the demands. In true arrogant nature of Shoprite, they reponded by claiming that the Union was exaggerating and manufacturing untruths. What they conveniently did not notice was the fact that information around their CEO's 2005 package was in the public domain. They also conveniently forgot to declare that the same CEO was about to be afforded a further ninety million rand (R90million) package this year!

Shoprite also made some feeble attempts to justify their blatantly unreasonable position on their refusal to grant workers a decent Wage Increase, provision of free Uniform to non-fulltime workers, concluding an agreement on Agency Fee as well as entering into a Relationship Agreement. No capitalistic rhetoric, public relations, pretentious patriotism or social responsibility grand standing can ever make up for appaling industrial relations and discrimination so arrogantly displayed and practiced by hypocritic Shoprite.

Shoprite has also been at pains trying to bulldoze workers to accept their own exploitation and agree that late trading is necessary even though it was unilaterally implemented, there is no consideration on its impact on workers, their families and family life.

We are sick and tired of employers like Shoprite who consistently rake in billions and billions of rands year after year but refuse to recognise the immense contribution of ordinary workers. We also refuse to be brainwashed into believing that it was the efforts of the CEO that amasses wealth for Shoprite. We argue that it would be almost impossible to notice if the CEO or those of his kind and standing were to be removed from their ivory towers. Can anyone imagine a Shoprite without all these employees who are so less regarded and contemptuously treated by those with power and authority?

Consequent to the unacceptable attitude displayed by Shoprite, the workers have declared that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and resolved to intensify the struggle against Shoprite!


 * We therefore have no choice but to announce the following:**

1. **Effective from Thursday, the 10th of August 2006, SACCAWU members will engage in a full-blown strike action. This will result in complete and total withdrawal of labour.**

2.**Effective from the 10th of August 2006 SACCAWU is calling for a boycott of the entire Shoprite Group of Companies made up of:**


 * **Shoprite**
 * **Checkers**
 * **OK Furniture**
 * **OK Foods**
 * **OK Mini Markets**
 * **House & Home**
 * **Hungry Lion**
 * **USave**
 * **Freshmark**
 * **8 ‘til late**
 * **Computicket**
 * **Rainbow Finance**
 * **Meat Market**
 * **Sentra**

3. **We will further be filing notices of solidarity or secondary strikes in all companies that provide services to or for Shoprite, particularly those organised by SACCAWU.**

4. **We also will call for a blacking action wherein our members in those companies merchandising and/or sub-contracted by Shoprite will refuse to handle any job associated with Shoprite.**

5. **Those within Shoprite will refuse to do any work or perform any task or function that would otherwise ordinarily be performed by those workers who are on strike.**

6. **We will be mobilising the Alliance and the civil society behind our "Boycott Shoprite Campaign".**

7.**SACCAWU have already made representation to COSATU and will be outlining the exact role that should be played by COSATU and Affiliates in solidarity with Shoprite Checkers workers.**


 * Whilst we are still open to constructive engagement, we refuse to be treated with contempt and like a group of ignorant individuals. We will continuously intensify our action against the company until the workers' reasonable, fair and just demands are met!**

In the interim we have commenced programmes relating to a possible **Black Christmas Campaign** against Shoprite Group of companies, since our members have vowed to fight for as long as it takes.


 * Issued by SACCAWU on this, the 8th day of August 2006 at the SACCAWU Head Office, Braamfontein.**

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