Striking employees at Pick n Pay Riverpark in Kuils River
have informed TygerBurger that they have been locked out of the store after
downing tools on Friday morning.
The workers are demanding a 10% wage increase, while the
retail outlet is offering 5.5%.
Shop steward, Glenda Heynes, previously explained that after
approaching the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)
on 4 June, wage negotiations deadlocked.
She says since that day, there have been no negotiations
which is why they have decided to down tools.
On Friday, about 85 employees embarked on the strike. The
strike action continued throughout the weekend, ending at 05:00 this morning
(Monday 2 July).
“On Saturday we were informed that none of the striking
workers would be allowed in the shop this morning (Monday 2 July). Even though
we can’t enter the store, we will continue to stand outside the store because
there’s nothing else we can do,” says Heynes.
When asked if the employees will reconsider their 10%
demand, Heynes says they will stick to it.
She has stressed that these employees are willing to
“sacrifice no work, no pay just to get demands heard” because they can’t
survive on the little money they’re getting paid.
In a previous interview, Heynes told TygerBurger that there
are employees earning only R18 per hour.
Pick n Pay is yet to comment on the issue.
