Johannesburg – Several labour organisations are gearing up for major solidarity action on Thursday on Clover companies and stores stocking the company’s products as a protracted strike for wage increments and against retrenchments soldiers on into its 10th week.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), the Food and Allied Workers Union and the General Industrial Workers Union, along with the National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa) have resolved to pile pressure on Clover in a national and international day of action, which will include protesting at various embassies.
The unions are protesting the closure of several factories and retrenchments. The company closed two factories in the Western Cape in 2020 and is planning to close four more factories in Gauteng, the Free State and in the North West.
In 2021, 1 600 workers were retrenched and a further 822 will be retrenched by the end of February.
“On January 25 is the national and international day of action when Saftu is calling on the working class to occupy shops stocking Clover products, and to hold demonstrations at embassies. We are calling on all our members and all progressive working-class organisations to support this strike and to support the call to boycott Clover. Those who are able to attend the demonstrations are encouraged to do so in support of this just cause,” said the unions in a joint statement.
