COSATU stands in solidarity with SACCAWU as it heads to court in defence of 600 Massmart jobs

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) fully supports its indomitable Affiliate, the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), as it heads to court to challenge the dismissal of nearly 600 workers by Walmart-owned Massmart.

SACCAWU is taking the fight to court after prolonged engagements to reinstate 600 dismissed workers at Massmart division, Makro, did not bear fruit. The workers were dismissed for participating in a legal, protected strike. The employer claimed they had violated picketing rules and fired them in the middle of a strike and ongoing wage negotiations.

The workers went on a protected strike after the union was confronted by the company's barbaric bargaining tactics where it initially refused to put an opening offer on the table, pleaded poverty, but at the same time insisted that the union lower its demands.

The company added insult to injury by using the entire Massmart group financials to justify why it could not offer a pay rise to workers at Makro, knowing full well the Makro division had grown its sales by 11% in the year under review. This was a peculiar departure as wage negotiations at other divisions had centred around the specific unit's performance.

SACCAWU and Makro ultimately signed a three-year wage agreement in June 2023, after a Section 150 intervention by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), bringing the 14-month-old strike to a close. However, the issue of the nearly 600 dismissed workers remained unresolved.

As a condition attached to the settlement facilitated by the CCMA, the parties agreed to engage further on the plight of the dismissed workers and reach an amicable solution. Now, 14 months later the matter is still not resolved.

The next logical step for COSATU's dedicated Affiliate, SACCAWU, is to approach the Labour Court to adjudicate on this critical matter. With South Africa's unemployment rate at an all-time high of 42%, SACCAWU cannot stand-by while its members' jobs are sacrificed at the altar of Walmart's arrogance. At the heart of this prolonged dispute is the multinational's philosophy and desire to operate in a union-free environment. Given our country's past, we cannot exchange one form of oppression for another. Walmart must realise that trade unions are an integral role player in the economy. It needs to abandon its attempts to break workers' aspirations for a living wage, collective bargaining and free labour practises and its desires to impose a union-free environment. Its time management engaged meaningfully.

COSATU commends SACCAWU for tirelessly defending the rights of these workers and leaving no stone unturned to ensure they are reinstated. The Federation is 100% behind the union and its members.

Issued by COSATU

Zanele Sabela(COSATU National Spokesperson)

Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639

Email: zanele@cosatu.org.za

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.