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Braving heavy rainfall, frustrated Pick n Pay employees at the Riverpark franchise in Kuils River downed tools this morning after wage negotiations deadlocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workers are demanding a 10% wage increase, while the retail outlet is offering 5.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shop steward, Glenda Heynes, tells TygerBurger that there are employees earning only R18 per hour. \u201cHow are we supposed to survive with this little money? We are not going to stop until we get what we want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on 4 June for wage negotiations, but that deadlocked. We haven\u2019t had any negotiations since then, so we have chosen to strike so our demands can be taken seriously,\u201d says Heynes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She explains that about 85 employees embarked on the strike. She says the strike action will continue over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another shop steward, Morencia Magerman, says she and her colleagues cannot survive on a minimum wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are fighting for this because VAT increased and petrol increased. Everything is just increasing, but not our wages. We can\u2019t cope like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pick n Pay is yet to give comment on this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watch the video of protesting workers below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n