‘Down with Walmart, down!’ – SA workers protest against Makro

On Friday, approximately 2 000 employees and union members marched towards the US embassy on Sandton Drive to protest against Walmart and its South African subsidiary, Makro.

Their mission?

To hand over a memorandum demanding justice and fair treatment.

Makro protest continues

The fervour didn’t stop on Friday and protesters’ resolve strengthened on Saturday, supported by the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) and the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu).

They sought the immediate reinstatement of over 400 Saccawu members who were wrongfully dismissed for participating in a lawful strike.

Wage increase negotiations

At the core of the protest was a call for a wage increase at Makro stores, a chain owned by Massmart.

The workers and union members are demanding a 12% wage increase.

Meanwhile, Saccawu President Louise Thipe voiced her support for the workers, stating:

“You are all important to me.”

Richer than African countries

Thipe said: “Let me bring the message from Saccawu, we appreciate you and the struggle you have gone through for so many months. We are behind your struggle”.

Thipe did not hold back in her critique of Makro, saying money talks, and they “are not even ashamed to say to our faces that the money they have is more than the GDP of any other country here in Africa.”

“[They are] boasting about their resources,” Thipe said.

More Makro protests in July

On Friday, Cosatu general-secretary Solly Phetoe said Makro declined to accept their memorandum.

Unfazed, Phetoe stated that the union would escalate matters come Monday.

“If the ANC is not going to listen to us, on the 6th of July, we must go to the Department of Labour, we will go to Treasury, and we go to the Reserve Bank,” he proclaimed.

Workers’ demands ‘unrealistic’

Back in April, Massmart said Saccawu’s wage demands of a 12% “are unrealistic, and in the context of a business that posted a group-wide loss of R2 billion, unaffordable”.

“As much as we would like to improve upon our offer of 4.5% or R410 we simply can’t afford to do so without embarking on a significant project to cut payroll costs.”

“There is a high probability that Saccawu’s position will ultimately result in the company declaring an indefinite defensive lockout,” the retail giant concluded.

Additional reporting by Devina Haripersad