Maravi

Shoprite workers work stoppage goes into second day

Shoprite workers work stoppage goes into second day
Written by Staff Reporters
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 7:36:17 PM

THE countrywide work stoppage by Shoprite-Zambia workers over poor conditions of service has continued into its second day today. And workers yesterday booed labour deputy minister Simon Kachimba when he suggested that they go back to work when he addressed them.

A check at the Lusaka outlets found the premises still closed with workers sitting outside waiting to be told their next course of action.

Kachimba had told the workers that he had been assured that the Shoprite chief executive officer was being awaited by the government to meet and address the concerns over the workers’ grievances.

He said the aim was that there would be no single winner in addressing the issue as both parties (workers and employers) would arrive at a mutually agreed resolution.

And earlier yesterday National Union for Commercial and Industrial Workers (NUCIW) general secretary John Bwalya confirmed the work stoppage and said the action was meant to push for a better insurance scheme for all Shoprite Zambia workers.

“This is not just about us the junior employees, even management are affected. It affects them because their pensions will also be calculated at South African rates which are a mockery by our standards. Today [yesterday] we are expecting Shoprite Group chief executive officer Whiteney Bason into the country to address the issue,” said one worker.

And according to a union official from Manda Hill branch who sought anonymity, the entire Shoprite workforce in the country is demanding an insurance scheme that that is in line with the existing Zambian labour laws.

“This protest is likely to go on for some time if management does not grant our demands. The last time we held a one-day protest in some selected outlets, we were promised that management would look into our plight. The problem is not with Shoprite-Zambia management. The problem is with our headquarters in South Africa where they give us conditions based on their laws,” the source said.

“Fort example, we’ve been demanding that our insurance scheme should be calculated according to our local conditions of two and half months per year. But people from headquarters are putting us on South African conditions of 0.5 months per year; this is unacceptable!”

Labels: SHOPRITE, STRIKE

posted by MrK @ 6:37 PM