Workers of a retail store embarked on a strike on Wednesday 7 March, demanding their wages to be increased.
They said their current pay of between R1 200 and R1 500 is depriving them of their dignity and will leave them poorer.
Workers were earning between R4 500 and R5 000 a month before the new management that took over in September last year decreased the wages, according to Simon Rendani Munyai, president and founder of the South African Industrial Commercial and Allied Workers Union. He said this is pure exploitation of the workers, who also do not have provident fund and medical aid benefits.
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“We will remain on strike until an agreement is reached or as soon as we influence a tentative settlement. The plight of these young workers is a symptom of the massive crisis of runaway unemployment and the bloodbath of formal jobs, which have left millions in deep poverty and even more vulnerable to unscrupulous employers who believe that any job is better than none, and that workers should be grateful to take whatever job they can at any wage,” Munyai said.
The Herald also spoke to another worker, who asked not to be named, who said the current wages are not enough to live a decent life.
“We are totally unhappy about this. Worst of all, we do not even get other perks such as a pension funds like workers at other retailers. This is not fair; some of us have families to feed,” said the worker.
The Herald is waiting for an official statement from the management of the store.
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