The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) conceded defeat on Wednesday (13 March 2014) in its fight for a 10% wage increase at Rooibos Ltd, the Western Cape-based company that dominates the market for tea of the same name.

Striking Rooibos tea workers have decided to return to work. Image:
KlipopmekaarFor the past five weeks, workers at Rooibos Ltd in Clanwilliam have been on strike demanding a 10% salary hike, while management of the company offered a 7.5% increase.
The strike began to peter out over the past few days, when most of the employees opted to return to work.
Fawu provincial secretary Mlungiseleli Ndongeni said the strike was having no effect and hence the remaining workers who were still taking part in the industrial action had decided to go back to work.
"When the strike started (five weeks ago), 180 workers were taking part. In the last few days, only 60 were still on strike," Ndongeni said.
"The rest of the workers have decided to go back to work. It means workers will have to sign that document (which states that they will not strike again over the same issue). In effect, they have accepted the 7.5% offer," Ndongeni said.
A spokesman for the African National Congress (ANC) constituency office at Clanwilliam, in the Cederberg municipality, which has been helping workers negotiate with Rooibos management, said the company had refused workers returning from the strike entry onto the premises.
Gerald Muller said Rooibos management wanted workers to first sign a document that stated they would not strike over the same issue again.
"It seems to me that management at Rooibos are scared that the workers will strike again, despite having said they will return to work," Muller said.
Source: Business Day via I-Net Bridge