Cape Town – Outraged Shoprite Checkers employees around Cape Town have called for stores that recorded
Covid-19 cases to be shut down, claiming two staff members died, with more getting infected.
Checkers Sun Valley Mall in Noordhoek, Fish Hoek, temporarily closed its doors yesterday after a support employee tested positive for the virus.
This comes after the Bayside Mall, Table View, store confirmed another case on Thursday. The store initially closed on April 14 and reopened two days later, before being closed again last week.
“On Thursday, Checkers Table View closed after another positive Covid-19 test. More employee screenings are taking place and a professional decontamination company is being brought in to sanitise and deep-clean the store again.
“We appeal to customers who have any health concerns to call the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) helpline or the government hotline,” the Shoprite Group said in a statement.
Shoprite said the well-being and health of employees, customers and communities was paramount. “We will continue to do everything in our power to safeguard them,” it said.
An employee who tested positive said staff member deaths were reported on Wednesday and Thursday.
“It is no longer safe to work there, and we don’t understand why the Department of Health is allowing them to continue operating. They have blood on their hands because they chose to put business above our lives and that of customers.
“They lied to the media and everyone else, claiming when they reopened all employees were screened. Most of us were screened, while others carried on working without being
screened.
“New staff members were brought
in to replace those quarantined, but
some were also not tested. So we
don’t know each other’s status.
"We
want justice and an investigation.
They are continuing with lies,
because after closing on Thursday
they reopened today,” the employee
said.
Another employee in Table
View said after two managers tested
positive, staff showing symptoms
were told to go home.
“We thought since there is a
possibility we are infected we
would be transported home or
tested at work, so that we could be
isolated from our families. Instead,
we had to use public transport to get
home.
“We will only be able to get
tested tomorrow, as it is a holiday
and clinics are closed. So if we are
positive, how will they trace people
we were with in the same taxis and
buses?
"They don’t care if we infect
people in our informal settlements.”
She added that other employees
informed her that the store opened
yesterday for customers, while at the
back of the store employees were
being screened.
The SA Commercial, Catering
and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu)
secretariat co-ordinator, Lucas
Ramatlhodi, said some companies
were using the coronavirus to
trample on workers’ rights.
“Employers have struck new
gold with the coronavirus, while
trade union officials are not deemed
essential workers to defend workers.
It’s as if the Labour Relations Act has
been suspended,” he said.