Coronavirus: South Africa’s Unions Fight For Essential Workers’ Safety

AS SOUTH AFRICA prepares for level 3 lockdown, unions are working around the clock to ensure companies comply with safety standards and regulations.

For the Food and Allied Workers Unions (Fawu) and the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu), whose members work in the food supply chain, level 3 means upping the ante on companies to comply with safety measures.

Fawu is affiliated to the South African Federation of Trade Unions, while Saccawu is a member of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which is in a formal alliance with the governing African National Congress.

Fawu and Saccawu represent members in the beverage (non-alcoholic and alcoholic), the wholesale and retail, the farming, the fast food and the hospitality sectors. Combined, the two unions represent more than 200,000 workers across those sectors.

Since level 5, workers in those sectors – barring hospitality, fast food and alcoholic beverages