CWAO IN THE NEWS

Contact people:

• Nandi Vanqa-Mgijima, Casual Workers' Advice Office on 065 848 3196
• Thulani Bukani, Independent Komani Residents Association on 076 313 4254
• Manala Rampo, Unpaid Benefits Campaign, 081 8701414

We, the 25 social movements listed below, from six provinces across South Africa, hereby announce that we will ramp up our boycott of Mister Sweet products.

Collectively, we are alarmed and dismayed at the highly abusive behaviour of Mister Sweet against the workers who have been on strike since 19 August 2024. Mister Sweet is behaving like an Apartheid employer and does not deserve the business from our movements.

Over the past week, the ruthless Mister Sweet has committed these egregious illegal actions:

1. Forced workers to operate dangerous cutting and cooking machinery without training, resulting in several workers sustaining injuries including having their fingers chopped off.
2. Mister Sweet bosses made late night phone calls to workers who are foreign nationals threatening them with instant dismissal if they do not leave the lawful strike and return to work.
3. Mister Sweet bosses enticed some of the striking permanent workers to return to work and once they are alone, inside the factory, forcing them to sign away their permanent contracts in exchange for 9 month contracts or be dismissed.
4. Mister Sweet bosses have forced workers to sign unconstitutional contracts whereby the workers promise to leave the Simunye Workers’ Forum union and not join any other union for three years.
5. Mister Sweet bosses have brought bunk beds into the factory and have tricked replacement workers, with promises of ‘accommodation’, into moving into these unsanitary conditions where they are sleeping in the factory and unable to go home each day.

We, the 25 social movements listed below, are further disgusted that the CEO of Premier Group, which owns Mister Sweet, paid himself nearly R19 million last year (A “basic salary” of R7.7 million and bonuses of more than R11 million = R18 874 000).

This is compared to a workers’ salary of R6000 per month (lowest) or R8500 per month (average workers’ pay). The increase to the pay of CEO JJ Gertenbach was almost 37%, but he expects the workers to accept 6%.

The vertical wage gap (difference between CEO’s pay and the average wage of the workers who produce the sweets) is 185 – meaning that the CEO is paid 185 times more than the average worker.

Workers at Mister Sweet are demanding a living wage of R19 500. Workers have been on strike for six weeks. We will therefore ramp up our boycott of all Mister Sweet products. The struggle for a living wage is one that all workers can support. We are fully behind Mister Sweet workers as they move forward against the Premier bosses. Support the strike! Forward to R19 500! Forward to a living wage! Don’t buy Mr Sweet!

Central Karoo Farm Communities Association (Western Cape)
Housing Assembly (Western Cape)
Independent Komani Resident Association (Eastern Cape)
Intlungu Yase Matyotyombeni (Western Cape)
Kwakwatsi Advice Office (Free State)
Maokeng Advice and Research Centre (Free State)
Metsimoholo Community Association (Free State)
Mining Affected Communities United in Action (National)
Potchefstroom Informal Settlement (North West)
Surplus Peoples’ Project (Western Cape)
Labour Community Media Forum (National)
Sovereign Agroecology Food Empowerment (Northern Cape)
Support Centre for Land Change (Western Cape and Eastern Cape)
Sundays River Valley Farm Workers Forum (Eastern Cape)
Valley FM (Western Cape)
Witzenburg Justice Coalition (Western Cape)
Workers World Media Productions (National)
Casual Workers Advice Office (Gauteng)
Simunye Workers Forum (Gauteng)
Surplus People Project (Western Cape)
Women On Farms Project (Western Cape)
Unpaid Benefits Campaign (Gauteng)
Thlolong Legal Advice Centre (Free State)
Ikageng Advisory Centre (North West)
Khanya College (Gauteng)

Category: PRESS RELEASE | DISPUTES