|
|
Appalling employer
behaviour by leading South African retailer: Shoprite Checkers cuts the small wages of workers who protest against unsafe late night home transport A rather peculiar employer behaviour has been exposed in South Africa, involving leading retailer Shoprite Checkers. Since February, the company has been on a clash course against its personnel and their trade union, UNI Commerce affiliate SACCAWU. Some of the company's action against its mainly disfavoured and low paid workers is sure to raise eyebrows far outside the country itself. It all began when Shoprite Checkers decided to extend its opening hours until very late, without discussing this in advance with the workers and their union. That there was no safe and reliable home transport for the predominantly female workers was not an issue for this employer. Workers who protested against the situation were labelled as insubordinate and insolent, the union says. But Shoprite Checkers did not only neglect the concerns of its shop workers. To shut their mouths, the employer started to discipline those who were most outspoken. Sanctions ranged from warnings to outright cuts from the already very low wages that workers were taking home. It is not hard to imagine what suffering this has caused. Union
representatives heavily sanctioned According to SACCAWU, active shop stewards were particularly targeted by management. Some of them paid a high price for daring to represent their fellow workers. Instead of receiving their normal compensation for hours spent on union work, they were now denied this, which meant the loss of a whole month's income. It is apparent that Shoprite Checkers' behaviour is part of a larger scheme by the company to deny its workers the right to union representation. New stores are kept non-union if possible, and there is also a process towards separating parts of the chain into non-union entities outside the reach of collective agreements. The UNI Commerce affiliate says that Shoprite Checkers' actions reflect a "slave trade mentality" and shows the company's "quest to maximize profits without due care for its employees". Workers have reported to SACCAWU about muggings, as well as rape threats, and even about threats against life, but management has not shown any concern for this. The union is now collecting even more information, and has declared that it is prepared to go on strike unless the issues of workers' safety are resolved.
|
