Wiseman Khuzwayo
The winter of labour discontent is now escalating to include petrol and drug supplies, which will be hit by an indefinite strike that is expected to start on Monday.
The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) said yesterday that its members would strike in support of pay demands.
The industrial action will be joined by members of the General Industries Workers Union, and 70 000 workers are expected to be involved.
Ceppwawu general secretary Simon Mofokeng said oil refineries would be affected, including the fuel pipeline from Durban to Gauteng.
He added: “We appeal to consumers and communities at large to bear with us because the strike will most definitely impact on the lives of ordinary people. There will be a shortage of drugs in hospitals, shortage of fuel, paper and other basic commodities. The disruptions are caused by the greed of the employers.”
Workers at Adcock Ingram and Aspen Pharmacare, two of the country’s biggest drug manufacturers, would join the strike, said Ceppwawu.
The two unions want a wage increase of between 11 percent and 13 percent while employers are offering between 4 percent and 7 percent.
The unions are also demanding a minimum wage of R6 000 a month. Mofokeng said the average wage in these industries was between R3 700 and R4 000 a month. In saw-milling it was R1 600 a month.
They also want a ban of labour brokers, a fully paid maternity leave of six months and a 40-hour working week without loss of pay.
Ceppwawu said the unions had spent two months negotiating in three national bargaining councils, with employers remaining intransigent.
It said that in the current context of rising costs, its members could not even afford the basic necessities of life.
“The present inflation rate is not a true reflection of the real cost of living experienced by the working class and the poor. We have a situation now where the basic necessities like food, housing, transport, education, electricity, water and sanitation constitute more than 70 percent of the monthly household expenditure.”
Mkhulisi Ratsibe, the spokesman for the National Petroleum Employers’ Association, said: “We are highly disappointed with the intended strike. We respect the right of workers to strike, but that must be exercised in a responsible manner. We view the strike as unfortunate as the offers we have made compare favourably with inflation.”
The National Pharmaceutical Employers’ Association was not available for comment.