25 February 2016
The SACP Vaal District in Gauteng province supports the 200 Shoprite workers who were unfairly suspended on the 16th of February 2016 by the management who refused to listen to workers grievances.
The District is joining COSATU Sedibeng Cluster in calling on all the affiliates including structures of the tripartite Alliance to boycott Shoprite Vereeniging in solidarity with the 200 part time workers who are currently on suspension.
In terms of the labour relations act of this country every worker has the right to fair labour practice and is entitled to freedom of association. In this regard workers at Shoprite Vereeniging are entitled to belong to SACCAWU as the union of their choice.
Shoprite Vereeniging Management further refused to listen to the grievances lodged by SACCAWU including that management consult and interact with workers through their union representatives on any labour related matters at shop floor level.
It is a norm that Shoprite Vereeniging undermines and isolates SACCAWU as a majority union and further plant seeds of divisions between the part time workers and permanent workers.
Workers at Shoprite Vereeniging are demanding to be consulted and not to be exploited through direct threats by the management. They further demand that weekly work schedules and hours for part time workers be left unchanged as per the agreement between Shoprite Management and SACCAWU at National level.
We further reiterate our call for solidarity with the 200 unfairly suspended workers by Shoprite Vereeniging management. We call for the boycott of the store until the management listens to the demands and grievances of the part time workers.
Should Shoprite Management fail to reinstate these 200 workers, the SACP Vaal District and COSATU Sedibeng Cluster will unleash an unprecedented industrial action and protests against Shoprite Vereeniging. We are already preparing grounds by lobbying all COSATU Affiliates, SACP Branches and Alliance structures and the community to join workers in their struggle for conducive working conditions.
Contact: Cde Sello Maetso - SACP Vaal District Secretary
Mobile: 082 677 8481
Nkosinathi Ndwandwe - COSATU Sedibeng Cluster Regional Secretary
Mobile: 081 344 6904
Issued by the SACP Gauteng province
Contact:
Lucian Segami - SACP Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: +2779 5220 098
Office: +2711 339 3621/2
Twitter: GPSACP
Facebook Page: SACP Gauteng Province