STAFF REPORTER|
LABOUR unions affiliated with the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) have embarked on protests in solidarity with striking Clover workers globally.
Unions are calling for a boycott of the company’s products for embarking on a restructuring process and cutting jobs.
The demonstrations are taking place across the country, including Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Clover workers are demanding that the company stop plans for further retrenchments and reinstate all workers.
They also want the company to be independent of the Israeli company Central Bottling Company (CBC) which owns Clover through the Milco SA consortium.
Earlier this month, Saftu called on the DTI to engage with the Competition Commission over the long-running dispute with Clover.
SAFTU’s General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi said over 2 000 workers stand to lose their jobs.
“[The] problems started in 2019 when the Competition Commission, despite warnings from FAWU (Food and Allied Workers Union) and GIWUSA (General Industries Workers Union of SA), that they should be opposing the merger, but they went ahead and approved the integration and now we are paying the consequences of that. They are now laying off or retrenching 2 000 workers. We are going back to the Department of Trade and Industry to say you better speak to the Competition Commission to reverse the decision on this measure,” says Vavi
Two weeks ago, employees protested outside the DTI in Pretoria. Workers embarked on a national strike, demanding that Clover reinstate those who’ve been dismissed, to halt retrenchments and to divest from Milco.
- Additional reporting by local agencies|
