CWAO IN THE NEWS
Mister Sweet loses in the Labour Court to Simunye Workers' Forum union
11/09/2024
Publication: SWF
Author: SWF Press Writer
The Simunye Workers Forum union has defeated Mister Sweet's attempts to bring an interdict against the strike at its factory in Johannesburg which began on 19 August.
Organiser:
Jacob Potlaki on 082 810 6134
Mister Sweet Negotiating Team:
Asithandile Jam-Jam on 065 6923738
Solomon Ndaba on 073 706 2633
Lindiwe Maseke on 083 753 5268
S. Ngobese on 066 4754979
Fikile Zwane on 072 462 7077
Johannesburg Labour Court judge J Daniels ruled yesterday (see attached) that the employer was unable to show any link between the alleged violence they complained of and the strikers. Therefore the company was not entitled to interdict the strike or the strikers.
Judge Daniels also acknowledged that the strike was a lawful and protected strike.
Clearly, Mister Sweet thought it could simply claim that a lawful and peaceful strike was violent and secure an interdict against the workers. The problem is not with the workers - it is with Mister Sweet - a highly exploitative company.
Mister Sweet is owned by Premier FMCG, which last year declared a 23.4% increase in revenue to R17.9 billion. Yet it refuses to pay the workers enough to survive. Some workers pack 16 heavy pallets full of sweets a day for R6000 per month. Its real owners - Titan Premier Investments, owned by Christo Wiese; and Allan Gray - are profiting from the exploitation of workers. The PIC is also one of the shareholders of Premier FMCG. Public money is therefore being used to further the exploitation of workers. The victory in court yesterday was a victory against these shareholders.
Since the strike began, Mister Sweet has shifted production to Manhattan, another sweet company owned by Premier FMCG. The workers at Manhattan, who already have full workloads, are coming under intense pressure from Manhattan management to work faster. They are being disciplined for making mistakes in producing the unfamiliar Mr Sweet products.
SWF is very concerned as they work with dangerous machinery and we fear that it is only a matter of days until a worker loses his or her hand, or experiences another similar terrible accident. The Premier bosses will bear full responsibility if something like this happens.
Mister Sweet has also put pressure on workers at the Mister Sweet factory not to leave the premises at all. In the last few days, Premier bosses have brought mattresses into the factory. They are forcing workers to sleep in the factory, in terrible and undignified conditions, without being able to see their families. We question whether this complies with health and safety standards, particularly concerning food production.
Mister Sweet conceded to the business press that it had lost production because of the strike yet it still refuses to negotiate with the Simunye Workers' Forum.
The two minority unions at Mr Sweet, FAWU and UCIMESHAWU, have from the beginning sided with the bosses against the striking workers. They have claimed that the strike is violent. We are vindicated by the judgment finding that there is no evidence that the strike is violent.