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Pharmacy chain Dis-Chem has suffered a bruising week as staff embarked on a strike and have made numerous claims of ill-treatment by management that include not being allowed to speak African languages to customers; being forced to dress up in Mickey Mouse ears that some regard as impinging on their dignity; and not being allowed to even check their phones at work.
Dis-Chem chief executive Ivan Saltzman was perplexed, however, when City Press put the staff and customer complaints to him.
He said no such language policy exists and that the ears were not obligatory. He did not respond to the phone claims by the time of going to press.
NO AFRICAN LANGUAGES?
A City Press reader alleged that he was angered when chatting to a cashier in isiZulu in a Dis-Chem store and the cashier responded in English.
The customer claims he was told by the staffer that it is Dis-Chem policy that floor staff may speak only English to customers.
Two staffers City Press spoke to this week confirmed that African languages are not allowed to be used in the retail stores when talking to customers, but that Afrikaans-speaking staffers are allowed to use their language.
They alleged that “working conditions were not good at Dis-Chem stores and warehouses” and that they are not even allowed to use their phones to check on their families while at work.
Saltzman denied any such language policy exists, calling the claims “ludicrous” and saying that, regardless of language, “staff are encouraged to communicate as clearly and directly as possible with the customer”.
The issue has angered the Pan SA Language Board, though.
Spokesperson Sibusiso Nkosi said that, if true, the language issue was a violation of the Constitution.
“After more than 20 years in a democratic country this still happens; it’s out of order,” he said, adding that the board would intervene directly in the matter.
MICKEY MOUSE EARS
City Press first began investigating staff complaints when a customer, Tian Johnson, tweeted about staff at one Dis-Chem store telling him they were forced to wear the Mickey Mouse ears and that some found it derogatory and offensive.
Johnson said one staff member claimed they had lost the ears and were forced to pay R150 for replacement ears.
“It is wrong to position a black body to entertain whites and people with power in this way,” said Johnson of the animal-themed dress-up.
Saltzman responded that the ears were “enthusiastically embraced by the majority of our staff as part of the Disney MicroPopz marketing promotion.
This is the first that I have heard of any dissent or unhappiness.
“It has come as quite a shock to me. It was not our intention for staff to feel humiliated or embarrassed.
“We also have plenty of spare Mickey ears and it is not a head office policy for staff to buy replacements.”
He said the campaign would not be run again.
WORKERS GO ON STRIKE
On Friday the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) announced a national strike by Dis-Chem workers, who are demanding a basic salary of R12 500 and annual bonuses.
Nupsaw national organiser Solly Malema said: “Dis-Chem is worse than apartheid because it has forced Nupsaw members to sign resignation forms if they embark on a strike ... And if you don’t sign the resignation form, they lock you out before the strike can even start.”
Dis-Chem did not respond to his claims by the time of going to print.
On Thursday the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration ruled that about 120 outsourced Dis-Chem workers must be made permanent employees from December 1.
Saltzman said he welcomed the ruling.
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