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Millions of workers angered at high electricity and other prices went on strike on
6 August 2008 and marched in protest across South Africa. Thousands of COSATU
members marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to hand over a memorandum of
grievance against soaring electricity prices. Some of the demands included that the costs
of power cuts not be borne by the poor and that the cost of electricity for poor
communities be kept low. Police reported that about 20 000 people participated in the
strike in Pretoria and that no incidents of violence were reported. SACTWU reported that
93.0% of its members had not gone to work. Bus and train services in Gauteng had
come to a complete standstill in the morning in metropolitan areas. The police reported
that about 4 000 protesters participated in the strike in Durban. In Cape Town, more
than 3 000 demonstrators marched to Parliament. In the Free State, thousands of
workers protested against high electricity prices in the gold fields region. About 10 000
protesters marched in Welkom. In Kimberley in the Northern Cape, about 10 000 workers
marched to Eskom offices to hand over a memorandum. About 15 000 COSATU
members protested against rising prices and handed over their memorandum to a
government official in Klerksdorp, North-West. In the Eastern Cape, close to 5 000
protesters participated in the Port Elizabeth leg of the nationwide strike. More than
10 000 protesters in Polokwane handed over memorandums of grievances to Anglo
Platinum and Eskom. More than 4 000 workers marched in Witbank, Mpumalanga. About
1 000 protesters gathered at the Eskom regional offices in George to hand over
memorandums. A crowd of about 600 gathered in Ladysmith. Metrorail train services
were suspended for several hours and only resumed at 2pm, as drivers joined the
stayaway
On 7 August 2008, workers at West End Clay and Cement in Zuurbekom in Westonaria
embarked on a wage strike after a dispute with management over wages. According to
NUM, police fired rubber bullets at strikers on 6 August 2008. Some of the protesters
were even arrested. The workers wanted a minimum wage of R500 per week for Grade 4
and R600 per week for Grade 5
On 10 August 2008, workers at Costa Logistics distribution centre the service provider
for Pick and Pay logistics, in Longmeadow, Gauteng embarked on a strike. The strikers
were protesting over dangerous working conditions and a pay dispute which had not
been solved for at least a year. It was alleged by the workers that pregnant women were
forced to operate dangerous machinery even if they produced documentation from the
doctors explaining their conditions. A total of 29 protesters were arrested on 9 August
2008 for allegedly violating a Court interdict against their protest. This followed the
arrest of 76 staff members who were involved in a similar strike action on 10 August
2008
Workers of the Msunduzi Municipal waste management division downed tools on
11 August 2008 and refused to collect refuse around the city, demanding a meeting
with management to discuss issues related to the privatisation of municipal trucks. It was
reported that workers wanted the municipality to revert to using their own trucks
instead of leased ones. They said the municipality seems to be heading towards
privatisation by refusing to repair municipal owned trucks and opting to use hired trucks.
Staff members reported that the municipality planned to lease the trucks for five years.
Although workers were reassured that they would not lose their jobs, they feared they
eventually will
On 14 August 2008, workers of the local company (Union Carriage and Wagon) that was
due to start assembling Gautrain’s carriages in August 2008 embarked on a strike. Union
Carriage and Wagon had invested R15 million in its Nigel assembly plant and had
undertaken to deliver 81 carriages by 24 February 2009. NUMSA reported that about
450 workers at UCW, including those on the Gautrain carriage assembly line, were
striking over the refusal by management to allow shop stewards time off for union
activities. The union said talks between UCW and the union deadlocked after
management refused to consider more than three days’ paid leave for union business
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On 14 August 2008, mining operations at Rockwell Diamond Mining in the Northern Cape
came to a standstill after hundreds of mineworkers embarked on a salary dispute strike
against mine management. Many workers were then earning an average salary of R1 300
a month. Workers were demanding a salary increase of 20.0%, among others, while mine
management was offering 11.0%. NUM and mine management finally settled at a 13.5%
increase, but some workers were not convinced
On 19 August 2008, nearly 300 Putco bus drivers went on an illegal strike after calling
for the suspension of the depot manager and for the appointment of a task team to
investigate his conduct. Commuters were left stranded on routes between Pretoria and
KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga. SATAWU had accused the depot manager of, among others,
misappropriation of funds, discrimination and intimidation of workers. The union said while
management had not agreed on the appointment of the task team, they had agreed to
appoint an independent presiding officer to look into the matter
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On 20 August 2008, workers at Algoa Bus in Nelson Mandela Bay embarked on a
protected strike action. The strike by the Algoa Bus drivers affiliated to the Transport,
Action, Retail and General Workers’ Union (THOR), which has disrupted bus transport
services was characterised by incidents of violence and threats to non-striking bus
workers. The company reported that two of its buses were shot at, eight stoned (with
injuries to a passenger) and threats to burn houses belonging to non-striking drivers
were made. Bus drivers and community members believed the dispute concerned the
new public transport plan (PTP) initiated by the Department of Transport. Management
said THOR had said the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union and Algoa Bus had
agreed to merge, which would exclude the taxi industry and leave taxi drivers jobless
The Lecturers at the Tshwane South College went on strike on 21 August 2008 after
calling for the principal and management to be dismissed, accusing them of corruption,
maladministration and nepotism. They also called for the Principal to be suspended
pending an investigation into his conduct. A preliminary report about the investigations
into allegations leveled against the principal by the Lecturers was not released in time as
the Gauteng Education Department (GDE) had promised
On 21 August 2008, AngloGold Ashanti’s Mponeng mine workers embarked on a
workstoppage due to a mourning that had been declared at the mine by NUM following a
miner’s death a week before. There was an agreement between management and unions
that says that in the event of a mineworker losing his life in the line of duty, a day will be
set aside for workers to mourn. Hence it was not classified as a strike by both
management and workers
On 21 August 2008, about 1 000 Woolworths workers protested in Johannesburg
against the company’s refusal to recognise SACCAWU and what the union called “union
bashing”. Management said the union then had a representation of less than 15.0%
among workers
On 22 August 2008, prosecutors from the Joburg High Court embarked on a silent
lunch-hour protest. About 20 prosecutors from the Joburg High Court further took time
during their lunch hour on 25 August 2008 to picket outside the Court. They sang and
danced in front of the Court entrance holding placards with a clear message to the NPA.
The picketing was about the promised wage increase that was not implemented by the
NPA in 2007. The prosecutors used the demonstration to highlight their frustrations. The
Gauteng prosecutors had apparently called on the Justice Minister to increase their
salaries as soon as possible
On 25 August 2008, a workstoppage was reported to be underway at Lonmin’s Western
Platinum mine in Rustenburg. It was estimated that about 3 000 workers were involved
in the stoppage
On 28 August 2008, taxi drivers on the routes between Johannesburg and Pretoria went
on strike over pay. It was reported by Metro Police in Joburg that the drivers were at the
Noord Street taxi rank in central Johannesburg and that the situation was “peaceful”.
The National Taxi Association said that the drivers decided to strike since they were
unhappy about a system that had been implemented on their route, whereby commuters
paid using a card system, instead of cash
On the night of 28 August 2008, nurses of the Sandton Medi-Clinic went on strike and
were locked–out. This after a deadlock in wage negotiations with nurses resulted in them
rejecting the 11.7% increase that was accepted by staff at Medi-Clinic’s 50 other
hospitals. Denosa was pushing for nursing staff to receive increases across the board
above what had been offered, to have public holidays paid, and to have years of service
recognised. Nurses were adamant about wanting a 12.5% increase across the board;
they had been offered 11.7%. Management believed increases, should be based on
performance and that is why they did not want to increase across the board
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On 28 August 2008, taxi drivers of the Johannesburg-Mabopane-Pretoria Taxi
Association went on a wage strike. Drivers were demanding their salaries be increased
from R1 050 to R1 500 per week and the Association said that the pay demand was too
high
Thousands of Pick and Pay staff stayed away on 29 August 2008. The union was
demanding a R500 increase, or 12.0%, and the company was offering R350. The union
further demanded a one-year agreement instead of the multi-year agreement the
company was offering. The union reported that their adjustments on working hours and
general working conditions included a minimum of 108 hours and R3 000 a month wage
for staff who work when the company needs them.
This month accounted for 20 disputes.
September 2008
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On 4 September 2008, BidAir workers embarked on a legal strike for a 13.0% wage
increase at the cargo foreign airlines section, but management was offering 10.0%. The
protesting SATAWU members clashed with police at OR Tambo International Airport
About 600 workers downed tools at glass manufacturer Shatterprufe in the Eastern Cape
on 4 September 2008. According to NUMSA, workers were demanding that they receive
their wages weekly, as opposed to monthly, and were also demanding that they become
permanent staff
On 5 September 2008, Wescoal workers at its Blesboklaagte plant in Witbank went on
strike over a wage dispute
On 5 September 2008, squid industry workers in Port Elizabeth, Port Alfred, Jeffreys
Bay, Humansdorp and St Francis Bay embarked on a strike. FAWU reported that the
strike was mainly about a wage dispute. They further reported that they went to three
rounds of negotiations with management regarding this and they did not reach a
resolution. The workers were working on a commission basis and asked management for
basic salaries that was declined. Workers had asked for fixed salaries of about R6 000 to
R10 000 a month. Workers also wanted to be permanently employed. Workers would like
management to consider that even if people had not been to sea for seven or more
times, they had contributed to the company. Anyone who had been to sea, regardless of
how many times, should be compensated at the end of the year
On 9 September 2008, workers at Schnellecke went on strike as a result of a wage
dispute between NUMSA affiliated workers at Schnellecke. NUMSA reported that VWSA
workers were demanding a 13.0% salary increase, in line with CPIX. The union accused
VWSA and Schnellecke of using scab labour to try to run production in an attempt to rob
workers of what was due to them
On 9 September 2008, a large group (100) of Gauteng taxi drivers took to the streets
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of Pretoria to deliver memorandums to the Labour and Transport Departments as well as
to the SA National Taxi Council. They voiced their dissatisfaction over the working
conditions in the taxi industry with a protest march. Drivers’ grievances included the
enforcement of sectoral determinations and the slow implementation of taxi
recapitalisation. SATAWU would like taxi drivers to enjoy the same benefits as other
workers like being paid overtime, being registered for UIF and belonging to a provident
fund for their retirement. They were also calling for an end to taxi violence
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A total of about 5 000 mineworkers downed tools at DRD Gold’s Blyvooruitzicht mine on
10 September 2008 to observe a day of mourning for a colleague who died in a seismic
event. NUM had urged its members to observe a day of mourning every time a worker is
killed in South Africa’s mines. Management had decided that it was a case of “no work,
no pay”. There was an agreement between management and unions that says that in the
event of a mineworker losing his life in the line of duty, a day will be set aside for
workers to mourn. Hence it was not classified as a strike by both management and
workers
About 6 000 workers downed tools on 11 September 2008 at Harmony Gold’s
Elandsrand mine near Carletonville for a day of mourning for a colleague who recently
died. The union reported that Harmony was paying workers for the day. Management
also reported that the company supported the day of mourning. There was an
agreement between management and unions that says that in the event of a mineworker
losing his life in the line of duty, a day will be set aside for workers to mourn. Hence it
was not classified as a strike by both management and workers
On the morning of 12 September 2008, hundreds of Woolies workers, led by SACCAWU
launched an industrial action following strikes in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal in
August 2008 in a campaign for union recognition in dealing with workers’ issues.
Woolworth’s management said that SACCAWU did not have enough members to be
recognised, while the union said more than half of Woolworths workers belonged to the
union
On 17 September 2008, Msunduzi municipal workers in Pietermaritzburg embarked on an
illegal strike. It was reported that the reasons for the strike had many facets, the main
one being the demand for pay increases. It was also believed that the strike was aimed
at ousting the Mayor; that it was a way to discredit her and to show that she was not in
control. It was further believed that the strike was aimed at getting rid of some senior
officials. It was said that tensions had been simmering for a while between the
municipality and its workers in certain business units, with some workers complaining of
inadequate pay and benefits compared with senior management. Promotions and salary
increases for staff in the fire department and procurement unit as well as for personal
assistants to strategic executive managers had been cited as the reason for the strike
On 17 September 2008, SACCAWU members working at Woolworths began a five-day
national strike to demand official recognition. SACCAWU reported that it had 34.0%
membership of the Woolworths workforce, enough to entitle it to formal recognition by
the retailer. A recognition agreement would allow the union to have membership fees
deducted from members’ wages by stop order, increase negotiating rights and give union
officials access to organising in the workplace
On 19 September 2008, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital workers embarked on a two
lunch-hour protest against the redeployment of the hospital’s Chief Executive. They
alleged that the Chief Executive who was removed from the hospital on 10 September
and ordered to report to head office was a champion of transformation. The protesters,
under the banner of Nehawu sacrificed their lunch break to make their demands known.
The redeployment of the Client Executive came after the hospital was exposed for
keeping new born babies in cardboard boxes and an outbreak of an infection that killed
five babies
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An illegal strike by drivers employed by Durban’s privatised municipal bus service left as
many as 50 000 commuters stranded on 23 September 2008. Drivers were apparently
unhappy at the loss of benefits and poor working conditions at Remant Alton, the
company tasked with running the city’s municipal bus services
On 25 September 2008, miners at Nkomati Platinum downed tools to mourn a colleague
who died at work. There was an agreement between management and unions that says
that in the event of a mineworker losing his life in the line of duty, a day will be set aside
for workers to mourn. Hence it was not classified as a strike by both management and
workers.
This month registered 14 labour disputes.
October 2008
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On 1 October 2008, foreign interpreters embarked on a sit-in strike over a pay dispute.
They alleged that they were not paid September’s salaries. Interpreters from Magistrates’
Courts in Johannesburg embarked on a sit-in strike demanding unpaid salaries
Waste removal workers who are employed by an agency contracted to provide a service
to the eThekwini Municipality embarked on a strike on 2 October 2008. The cleaners
wanted the city to employ them on a full-time basis. About 25.0% of the Durban Solid
Waste workers are employed through agencies. The strike later turned violent as some
trucks were set alight
The National Union of Mineworkers reported that on 2 October 2008, about 3 000
workers of AngloGold Ashanti at its Savuka mine downed tools as they observed a day of
mourning for the death of two colleagues a week ago. There was an agreement between
management and unions that says that in the event of a mineworker losing his life in the
line of duty, a day will be set aside for workers to mourn. Hence it was not classified as a
strike by both management and workers
On 2 October 2008, nearly 1 000 protesting POPCRU members delivered a memorandum
to the offices of the Gauteng Safety and Security MEC demanding the sacking of the
Gauteng Police Commissioner. They claimed that the Commissioner had not addressed
issues, including racism in the police
On 3 October 2008, workers at the Port Elizabeth Mercantile Private Hospital embarked
on a strike as the company refused to bargain with them
On 3 October 2008, the Johannesburg emergency call centre operators and the fire and
ambulance services staff downed tools, bringing the entire emergency services to its
knees. The workers cited poor working conditions as the reason behind their strike. The
members had called a general meeting to discuss working conditions and had decided to
abandon their posts until the Emergency Management Service (EMS) Head could address
them. SAMWU members claimed they had not been given pay increases for the past
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12 years, and that when management did so, it was way below the current inflation rate.
The union also said its members, especially the ambulance staff, were forced to work
with unroadworthy vehicles
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The NUM reported that on the weekend of 4 October 2008, thousands of mineworkers
marched to protest against racism in the mining and construction sectors. The NUM
reported that members marched to deliver a letter of complaint to the Chamber of Mines
about racism and low levels of affirmative action
Workers at the Uranium One Mine (Dominion South Africa Mine) near Klerksdorp refused
to go to work on 7 November 2008 because 11 miners, who were fired recently, arrived
at work armed and threatened workers, preventing them from going to work. Workers
resolved that they would go back to work when the mine had sorted out its security
problems. They said they did not want to get involved in violence and fighting each other
On 8 October 2008, NUM members at the financially troubled Pamodzi Gold Mine went
on strike after reaching a wage deadlock. A week before the strike, the company
highlighted that these wage demands might leave it with no option but to retrench some
workers because of the financial constrain. The company reported that it had tabled an
effective 22.0% (including all benefits) which was rejected by the union. The union was
demanding a 12.0% wage increase
About 100 workers at Party Design in Bez Valley, Johannesburg went on strike on
13 October 2008 in protest against a “stingy” pay increase. The workers also wanted
changes to their working hours and provident fund structure. Staging a protest outside
the business, they carried placards accusing their boss of being disrespectful towards
them. They also demanded more than the 10.0% pay increment that was on the table
(split between a 9.0% pay increase and 1.0% to go towards an insurance fund).
SACCAWU wanted a 12.5% pay increase. The union claimed that management also
wanted a copy of SACCAWU’s constitution
More than 500 workers at South Africa’s Anglo Coal Mine, a division of global miner
Anglo American Plc, downed tools on 21 October 2008 at the Greenside Colliery to mark
the death of a worker. The union reported that the worker died after he was
electrocuted while working underground on 18 October 2008. Mining companies had
suffered production losses after fatalities due to routine shutdowns ordered by
government for investigations and work stoppages by union members, who have vowed
to stop work for a day to mark the death of colleagues. There was an agreement
between management and the unions that says that in the event of a mineworker losing
his life in the line of duty, a day will be set aside for workers to mourn. Hence it was not
classified as a strike by both management and workers
Members of NEHAWU at the Charlotte Maxexe Johannesburg Hospital (Johannesburg
General Hospital) downed tools on 22 October 2008 against alleged nepotism and
misuse of hospital funds. Workers accused management of not accounting for the
missing equipment worth R6 million. Other grievances included that the Chief Executive
Officer had privatised the cleaning services
Taxi bosses and drivers protested against government bus transport plans on
22 October 2008. The Border Taxi Association and Ncedo Taxi Association were
unhappy with the municipality’s Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system for 2010. They
alleged that thousands of taxi drivers would lose their jobs because of it. They claimed
that there had not been any consultation with them on the system
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On 24 October 2008, workers of Johannesburg Water embarked on an industrial action
over working conditions.
This month recorded 14 disputes.
November 2008
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On 3 November 2008, about 1 500 construction workers of Cape Town’s 2010 World
Cup stadium embarked on a strike because their employers refused to pay them a bonus
for December 2008. Workers walked out and management decided to close the gates
because of safety concerns
On 4 November 2008, lecturers at the University of Zululand went on strike on condition
that management makes a submission on their grievances and matters of salary
increments at the end of November 2008. The union also demanded that workers get a
12.5% salary increase given to management recently. There were also allegations that a
R30 million grant had been embezzled by senior officials
On 5 November 2008, production at the East London battery manufacturing company
(First National Battery) grounded to a halt after a dispute with workers over transport
arrangements. More than 300 workers from First National Battery, which supplies
Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Nissan, BMW and Volkswagen South Africa, downed tools
because of a shortage of transport for nightshift workers. The following plants were
affected: Fort Jackson, Buffalo View and Settlers Way
On 6 November 2008, the State President’s home and office staff at Tuynhuis, the
office of the President, and Genadendal, his official residence in Cape Town, picketed
outside Parliament. Meanwhile, colleagues from his official Pretoria residence, and the
Deputy President’s residence protested outside the Union Buildings. Drivers and cleaners
complained about having to wear four-year old uniforms that were falling apart. The staff
also complained that they were fed chicken feet and stale pasta while management dined
on steak at the same table
Casual workers and visually impaired workers at the Itireleng workshop for the blind in
Ga-Rankuwa went on strike in protest against unpaid salary increases on 10 November
2008. The group claimed that they were promised that their salaries would be increased
in April 2008. Only a few of the casual workers and visually impaired workers had
received their salaries. Management at the workshop claimed the workers had already
been paid their increases in full and on time
On 13 November 2008, at least 11 000 mine workers from Gold Field’s Beatrix Mine in
the Free State attended a memorial service for a colleague who died there. Management
reported that workers did not down tools and they were certainly not boycotting work.
They said they had an agreement with the mining union that says in the event of a
mineworker losing his life in the line of duty, a day will be set aside for workers to mourn
The NUM reported that more than 2 000 workers who were off-duty marched to the
Department of Labour’s offices in Boksburg on 13 November 2008 to protest against
the closure of a gold mine. Mine workers demanded government intervention at DRD
Gold’s East Rand Proprietary Mine (ERPM) which they said was threatening closure
because of water that needs to be pumped out underground. The NUM said workers
were demanding that the Department of Minerals and Energy investigate the possibility
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of the mine having violated its licensing conditions with the possible closure of its
underground operations, as well as the abuse of public resources as R100 million was
given by the department to assist with water problems. Management further reported
that the protest had not affected production at the company because the marching
workers were from their underground section where production stopped on 31 October
due to rising water levels underground
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Disgruntled workers sub-contracted to erect the Gautrain alignment piers in Clubview,
Centurion downed tools on 7 November 2008 over unresolved grievances. About 120
Boma Construction workers embarked on an illegal strike allegedly because management
was unwilling to pay them bonuses. The NUM said their contract was soon coming to an
end, so they wanted a severance package, an annual bonus and a project bonus. The
union claimed that these bonuses were in line with the Project Labour Agreement (PLA)
all sub-contractors agreed to when working on the Gautrain project
Late on 12 November 2008, Lonmin workers went on strike at the Lebowakgomo Mine
over pay. The NUM reported that more than 2 000 workers at the mine went on strike
after talks on wages collapsed
The Right to Agrarian Reform for Food Sovereignty reported that on 20 November 2008,
about 120 people protested in Piketberg on the westcoast over the rights of farm
workers. Protesters handed a memorandum to representatives of the Bergrivier
Municipality and the Land Affairs and Justice Departments
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On 22 November 2008, a two-day unofficial strike by Kommetjie’s (Cape Town) Post
Master exposed a bitter four-year feud that threatened to cripple the village’s bustling
commericial centre. The wildcat strike was against being treated badly by another tenant
On 26 November 2008, soldiers from the Lenasia base were reported to have blockaded
the N12 highway. They demanded the South African National Defence Force to provide
transport for them. The Pretoria High Court granted them a Court Order in October 2008
forcing the department to provide transport for soldiers at the Lenasia base as it had
moved to Doornkop. The South African National Defence Force Union said they were not
blockading the freeway but making their way to work
The angry workers of the Nkomati Nickel Mine in Machadodorp, near Belfast barricaded
the Badplaas Road on 26 November 2008 with rocks, burning tyres and anything they
could lay their hands on. This was after they were told they no longer had jobs. The
protest turned nasty and police used rubber bullets. Police reported that four people
were arrested and were to appear in Court on 27 November 2008
On 29 November 2008, SAA staff began a strike in protest against changes in their
working conditions. Up to 2 000 of the airline’s 8 400 staff, including cabin and ground
crew, and booking agents were reported to have downed tools over changes to their
employment conditions. The SATAWU got the go-ahead to strike after SAA’s application
for an interdict was dismissed by the Johannesburg Labour Court on 28 November 2008
afternoon. The strike kicked-off on 29 November 2008 at 2:00 outside Airways Park,
near the OR Tambo International Airport. The strike was expected to spread to all
departments including finance, voyager and flight operations staff. The SATAWU
reported staff striking over “unilateral changes” to their employment conditions, including
the outsourcing of the airline’s reservations and voyager call centres to Dimension Data.
The outsourcing agreement which was to come into effect on 1 December 2008,
included the transfer of about 200 staff to that company. The union said that staff
would lose travel benefits and sick leave.
This month accounted for 14 labour disputes.
December 2008
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The City of Johannesburg emergency services workers (paramedics and firefighters)
downed tools on 8 December 2008 for the third time in 2008 in a bid to get
management to speed up salary negotiations. Since July 2008, emergency workers had
been seeking better pay, urging management to attend to salary discrepancies and
improve working conditions. The strikers also disrupted traffic, triggering a heated
argument with metro police officers
On 8 December 2008, workers of the Bushbuckridge Water Board went on strike. The
workers were demanding, among other things, that the Chief Executive Officer, who was
under suspension, be returned to work and that certain incentives be paid to them. The
Chief Executive Officer was suspended after allegations that he used a bulldozer
belonging to the Water Board for private purposes
On 8 December 2008, workers at the Gauteng licensing office (Batho Pele House)
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embarked on an illegal strike. Scores of workers spent their lunchtime demonstrating
outside the building against the employment of about 120 contract workers. This came
amid allegations that certain workers had been employed without going through the
required process. The protesters alleged nepotism and corruption against their managers.
It was reported that the strike was affecting the processing of thousands of temporary
operating permit applications from long distance transport operators
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On 9 December 2008, foreign language interpreters refused to go back to work until
they were paid the money owed to them by the Department of Justice. It was reported
that interpreters had not been paid for three months in succession
On 11 December 2008, more than 80 angry workers of Express Hauliers that included
drivers, their assistants and packers, toyi-toyied outside the company’s premises
demanding their sick fund and leave pay from the Bargaining Council. Workers said they
were told by management that management was afraid to pay them early, because some
of them won’t come to work before they close for the December holidays
On 17 December 2008, more than 30 workers at Southdale Pick ʼn Pay refused to work,
claiming that management was not consulting them when implementing some changes
within the store. Strikers said the initial agreement they had with the management was
to work until 15:00 on holidays but on 16 December 2008, working hours were
extended to 19:00 without their consultation. Workers were also complaining about the
ill-treatment they were getting from management
On 18 December 2008, about 130 workers at Golden Leopard Resorts in the Pilanesberg
National Park in North-West embarked on a strike over wages. Workers were demanding
a 15.0% salary increase while management was offering 9%. It was reported that
maintenance reservations and the kitchen were among the affected areas and that staff
from Sun City and interns were used to keep up with the large number of visitors.
This month recorded 7 disputes.
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