Devland workers go on a protest over salary increase

Workers at Sir Fruit gathered outside the company premises in Devland for a peaceful protest over the issue of salary increases and working conditions.

According to Sibusiso Dimba of the National Association of South African Workers (NASA), they have more than 100 workers from Sir Fruit as their members this year and they demand that the employer increase salaries of workers who have been with the company for more than ten years with R1000.

Dimba added that the basic salary for those workers should make up an amount of R10 500.

They also demand contract reviews for workers who were previously retrenched and absorbed back by the contractor.

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“Workers who are taken in and out of the work place also demand permanent contracts because as an employer you cannot treat your workers as such, it’s not fair.

“We also had workers complaining about the working conditions and how they are not treated equally in the work place, so as NASA we are not going anywhere until all the demands of the workers are met.”

Dimba added that they previously had meetings with the employer but it did not materialise.

“The meetings were in April and May with the last one being in June. In the same month the employer cancelled NASA recognition agreement in the workplace without any given reason. As a result we would not negotiate the workers’ demands and concerns with them.

“Since we are dealing with a union basher and an arrogant employer, we will continue with this protest until all the demands of the workers are met.

“No one is above the law. They managed to hire security personnel and lawyers to stop us from protesting but cannot increase the salaries of their longest serving employees.”

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Sir Fruit CEO, David Baker said, “Sir Fruit offered a competitive wage increase of eight percent to all wage employees, taking into consideration the current economic climate. Many other companies have settled for amounts around five to six percent. This offer was made with the intention of ensuring a fair and equitable compensation package for our valued workforce.”

He added that when it comes to the majority support offer, a lot of Sir Fruit’s staff has chosen not to participate in the strike.

“They recognise the challenging economic circumstances and have opted to work toward improving their lives and the well-being of their families rather than pursuing political interests whereas a minority of employees, representing a small portion of our total staff, rejected the eight percent wage increase offer and initiated the strike.

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They are demanding a 13 percent wage increase, a figure that Sir Fruit believes is financially unsustainable and could lead to operational closures and job losses, which would not be in the best interest of either employees or the employer.

“While the company firmly denies allegations of intimidation, it has received audio messages from some employees claiming to have been coerced into striking and facing threats from union representatives.

“Sir Fruit finds such actions disappointing and is committed to ensuring a safe and respectful work environment for all employees. We are committed to resolving the ongoing labour dispute and has in good faith negotiated with labour.”