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The Agricultural, Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU) welcomes the decisive action taken by the Department of Employment and Labour which had started earlier this year on stores that do not comply with labour laws. Labour laws are a product of the struggle of workers for decades towards a just and democratic South Africa.

Following the decisive action by the Department of Employment and Labour, the Spar Guild Southern Africa Limited has taken a clear decision to terminate the membership of the stores that fall within the Giannacopoulos Group for non-compliance to labour laws and the National Minimum Wage.

Amongst the issues that influenced this action were:

• Failure by the employer to issue employees with contracts;
• Long working hours without overtime compensation;
• Sunday pay, public holidays and leave not granted according to the law
• The complaint also related to the hiring of illegal foreign nationals; and
• Illegal deductions, lack of contracts, long working hours.

We welcome mostly the fact that no workers are going to loose their jobs as the group will be taking over the stores. These outlets employ 565 workers. We are further advising the Department and the group to make sure that proper measures are taken against the allegations of Mr Giannacopoulos having double identities.

We are advising the Department of Employment and Labour to take decisive action against the Spar in Rosettenville. The Spar dismissed 26 employees for no apparent reason. This is one of the most exploitative employers in the country that does not care about the rights of workers and undermines the constitution of the country. The employer previously misled (and still does) workers and force them to agree to a close shop agreement where they are forced to join a union that was formed in 1911 and deregistered in 1970. The union was a white only mine workers union that operated during the apartheid era. This is not only a blunder but a total disregard of labour laws.

Workers rights are human rights! No worker should be exploited.

Issued by Agricultural, Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union