This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
BusinessLive reports that Transpharm, a subsidiary of grocer Shoprite, is losing R11m a day due to crippling industrial action by disgruntled workers who are demanding salary increases of over 100%.
Transpharm is one of SA's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors. About 400 members of the General Industries and Workers Union of SA (Giwusa), an affiliate of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), downed tools on Tuesday at Transpharm's distribution centre in Pretoria in support of their demands for a R12,500 minimum wage. On Thursday, Giwusa branch chair Jan Magolego, who also is also the shop steward committee chair at the company, claimed that the strike had effectively shut down the company's operations. “We are the majority union there. The company is saying to us it is losing R11m per day as a result of the strike,” Magolego said. He added that most workers earned R4,500 per month and that the company had been largely mute on the union’s demands. Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, who was due to address the striking workers at Hermanstad in Pretoria on Friday, said the labour federation supported the workers' demands. He also reported that the company had applied for a court order to interdict the workers.”
- Read the full original of the above report by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page