Workers at Parmalat SA’s Stellenbosch plant are entering their fifth week of a wage strike and have complained of financial woes.
“We’re sinking deeper into loans and problems as the talks have been stalling, and some of the workers have gone to loan sharks,” said Sbetho Ntsondwa, a cheesemaker.
The national wage dispute saw Parmalat’s permanent staff down tools on July 23, demanding a 9 percent increase. Parmalat has offered 7 percent.
The employees had initially sought 14 percent.
They said they had come down to nine percent, but would not bend further.
“I took out R3 000 and will pay back R8 000. I have clothing accounts, housing and a car to maintain,” said Ntsondwa.
“I understand I’m being ripped off, but what else can one do under the circumstances?”
Zola Goniwe, a machine operator at the plant who took out a similar loan, said: “I borrowed R6 000, and I will have to pay R600 for the next 18 months.”
“I wouldn’t have taken this loan if my children hadn’t been suffering.”
Goniwe has four children aged between three and 16, and says the situation is “hurting” him, his colleagues and their families.
The protesters said they had been informed by police that “several” cases including vandalism had been opened against them by Parmalat.
Union spokesman Monde Dyantyi said: “Fifty-six staff members are on strike at the plant, while more than 450 workers of Parmalat nationally are on strike.”
As they have for the past five weeks, the protesters camped outside the company’s gates in their cars yesterday, frequently emerging to sing. They left at 3pm.
Parmalat SA has plants in Stellenbosch and Bonnievale in the Western Cape, Centurion and Kyalami in Joburg, East London and Port Elizabeth.
Food and Allied Workers’ Union spokeswoman Dominique Swartz said at the start of the strike that all the plants were at a standstill. - The Argus