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‘It will affect the sick and the frail’ but Dis-Chem employees are set to strike

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Dis-Chem. Picture: File
Dis-Chem. Picture: File

Industrial strike action is set to take place at Dis-Chem pharmacies tomorrow, as workers who fall under the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers down tools.

This follows a dispute between the retail giant and some of its employees. The union says that Dis-Chem refuses to grant employees organisational rights in terms of section 21 of the Labour Relations Act.

Solly Malema, Nupsaw national organiser, said that the employees had been exploited for too long.

“There’s just too much exploitation. Employees weren’t paid bonuses in December and Dis-Chem is anti-union. In terms of section (18) of the Labour Relations Act, the employees are asking for a union deduction to come off their salaries, which is then paid to unions for their representation but Dis-Chem is refusing. People are sick and tired of this now,” Malema said.

Malema added that the workers were seeking to elect their own shop stewards under section (14) of the Labour Relations Act.

“We are expecting more than 2000 workers to join in the strike, as well some political parties which I cannot disclose at this point,” he said.

Dis-Chem chief financial officer, Rui Morais, told City Press that the initial demands put forward by Nupsaw were difficult to meet but that they were engaging with the CCMA on the matter.

“The strike will not affect any other stores except the Midrand distribution centre and Delmas. This is what was communicated with us, and only 400 workers who are a part of the union will be taking part in the strike action,” Morais said.

“It will be business as usual at the other stores, and the workers who will be striking represent less than 5% of our total workforce,” he said.

The strike is set to begin at 5am on Wednesday, and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), of which Nupsaw is an affiliate, will be supporting the strike action.

“Saftu agrees fully with Nupsaw that the employer’s stubborn and extreme behaviour regarding the union’s organisational rights has now set the stage for conflict and has left us with no other option but take this very unfortunate and painful decision, considering that it might also affect the sick and the frail who buy from DisChem pharmacies,” Saftu said yesterday.


Avantika Seeth
Multimedia journalist
City Press
p:+27 11 713 9001
w:www.citypress.co.za  e: avantika.seeth@citypress.co.za
      
 
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