Saccawu to embark on 10-day boycott of Massmart over wage hike demand
However, Massmart management said they had no idea of the revised wage demand from Saccawu affiliates.
JOHANNESBURG – South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) said it would embark on a 10-day nationwide boycott of Makro stores to compel the retailer’s management to consider its wage increase demands.
Marches have been planned for Makro stores on Friday, with workers calling for a 6.5% increase across the board - which equates to an additional R650.
The trade union initially demanded a 12% increase, which equates to an additional R900, but the retailer’s management refused to budge.
Saccawu's Sithembele Tshwete said their salaries did not accommodate the rising cost of living.
“Whenever we try to at least explain our demands to them and say, ‘look, this is just for workers to maintain the rising cost of fuel the rising cost of items in the food basket’, they seem to carry a deaf ear.”
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He said that management had still refused to give them a R650 increase.
“So mainly it’s the conduct really that they are projecting into these negotiations. In our last encounter with the company, which by the way they have collapsed and walked away, we are urging and nudging them to come back to the negotiations table which they have deserted.”
However, Massmart vice president Brian Leroni said they had not heard of any revised demands.
“That’s news to me; the request that we have from Saccawu on the table at the moment is for a 12% wage increase, as well as for an increase in sales commission from 10% to 20%.”
