Strike planned against Pick n Pay

The union said this was a result of a long-drawn-out dispute between the union and Pick n Pay over a range of racist practices and failures of employment equity policies.

"After almost a year since Saccawu raised its complains and concerns with the company, and the failure from the side of the company to respond to the issues and proposals by the Union to address these concerns, Saccawu members are preparing to embark on protected industrial action," the union said.

Saccawu said among the issues raised against Pick 'n Pay were:

• Inconsistency in application of discipline with bias against black employees and Saccawu members;
  
• Racism amongst some managers and failure to discipline them by the company;
  
• The re-employment of white retirees after retirement;
  
• The privileging of white part-time staff through the fast tracking of white Variable Time Employees (VTEs) into management positions while overlooking permanent full-time employees;
  
• The failure of skills training programmes to benefit Saccawu members in a meaningful towards career path in the company;
  
• Discrepancies in income between black and white occupying the same position or doing work of similar value, where white employees earn more; and
  
• Racial comments made by the CEO against black employees.

After failure to resolve the issues through dispute resolution processes, Saccawu has obtained a certificate from the CCMA granting them the right to embark on protected industrial action set for Friday, 11 December, the union said.

"However in a further attempt to frustrate Saccawu in resolving the issues, a tactic used by the company throughout the dispute, from delaying responses for months to extreme intransigence to address the workers concerns, Pick n Pay have obtained a court interdict on spurious grounds against the decision of the CCMA.

"However, we are confident that the interdict will be overturned in the Labour Court, where the Union will challenge it.

"The court date is set for 10am December 8 2009," Saccawu concluded.

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