Cape Town - South African pharmaceutical workers launched an indefinite wage strike on Friday, potentially affecting production and distribution depots, a union official said.
Around 8 000 members affiliated to the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers union (CEPPWAWU) were expected to strike for higher wages, joining their colleagues in the petrochemical sector who started a similar strike on Thursday.
“We want nine percent in a one-year deal,” Clement Chitja, head of collective bargaining at the union, told Reuters.
He said employers were offering 7.5 percent this year and 7 percent in the second.
South African pharmaceutical company Adcock Ingram said the strike had not affected any of its operations yet.
GlaxoSmithKline South Africa was unavailable for comment and Aspen Pharmacare said it did not engage in union-related issues through the media.
REUTERS