Close to 2 000 members of the General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa) will on Tuesday embark on a strike at Clover SA over wages. The union is demanding a 16% wage increase and the permanent employment of labour brokers.
Clover is offering 3%, which the union is rejecting.
“Giwusa had to declare a wage dispute and drag the company to the CCMA. Only at the CCMA did the company make a wage offer of 3% and the company insisted that all other conditions of employment remain the same, and refused to shift from this stance. Giwusa and its members are not accepting that workers are to pay the price of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says the union in a statement.
Giwusa says they have resorted to a strike because no real negotiations have taken place with Clover.
“Clover SA initially unilaterally announced a wage freeze and refused to enter into wage negotiations, citing the impact of COVID-19 as a reason for their stance. Giwusa had to declare a wage dispute and drag the company to the CCMA.”
Clover workers have been working throughout the pandemic. The strike will be accompanied by a national call to boycott the products of Clover SA.
The union is calling on the public to support the strike and the boycott of Clover Products.
Cosatu, Saftu strike
Last week, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) together with the South African Federation of Trade Union (Saftu) and National Council of Trade Unions embarked on a national strike against job losses and corruption. It was the first time the federations came together to raise workers’ issues.
The labour federations’ leaders handed over a memorandum of grievances to government representatives:
