Union leaders announced that the strike against Woolworths will continue after talks failed on Sept. 21. The strike, led by South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union, begun on Sept. 17 and was originally planned to last only five days.
Woolworths pompously claims that workers do not want to be in a union. As of the beginning of the strike, more than 5,000 Woolworths employees had applied to join the union.
More than 1,500 workers from 33 stores across South Africa have joined the strike. Some 2,000 workers forced a Woolworths in Johannesburg to close on Sept. 18.
“By not recognising (the union), they can continue to pay us low wages,” said Saccawu organiser Freda Sizani. “Also, most workers cannot get benefits because most are not permanent. Out of 129 staff in Vincent Park Woolworths, only eight are permanent, the rest are casuals, flexi- time and part-time.”
