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09 February 2016

Att:      The CEO

Re:      In-store Specials and Sales

Dear Sir/Madam

Please receive correspondence from Cosatu in relation to the access that an important constituency has to the discounted prices that the Company presents to consumers on occasion.

It has been brought to our attention that the Company has specials of reduced pricing on certain goods sold. These specials are presented at certain times of the month and provide significant relief to sections of the communities. The timing of these specials normally occur at the end of the month around the 25th which suits public servants and workers which are ordinarily paid by the 25th. The specials are then terminated and return to normal pricing by the 30th.

This trend in pricing, whilst providing a benefit for the working families, excludes those people who are dependent on SASSA grants which are paid out on the 30th and the money is effectively only available from the 1st day of the next month.

Accordingly our demand, for your consideration, would be that the specials be made effective on the last day of the month, so that all sections of the society will be able to benefit. This would have an important contribution to the poorest sections of our society that are dependent on social grants.  

There were some concerns amongst Cosatu members, that the Company used this date of the 25th to consciously exclude the poorest sections of the communities. We however do not hold this cynical view to be true, as it would condemn the poorest to the worst exploitation by spaza shops.

We look forward to your urgent response to the request tabled and hope to find an accommodation of all sections of the society.

Yours faithfully


Tony Ehrenreich

This letter was sent individually to the following major retail stores:

SHOPRITE/CHECKERS, PICK & PAY, SPAR, OK BAZAAR, WOOLWORTHS, GAME, CHECKOUT, ELITE, MAKRO, CLICKS, DISCHEM, WINNERS

Issued by COSATU Provincial Secretary