Mister Sweet workers shut down labour department

Workers on strike at Premier’s Mister Sweet factory picket outside the Department of Labour’s office in Germiston on Tuesday. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro

• Workers on strike at Premier’s Mister Sweet factory briefly shut down the Labour Department’s office in Germiston on Tuesday.
• This comes in the 11th week of the strike.
• The workers are asking for a minimum of R12,500 for the lowest-paid workers and R16,500 for workers in higher-level positions. But the company has to date stuck to its initial 7% offer.
• Workers claim that the company is violating health and safety rules. They say at least four casual workers have lost fingers at the factory.

Dozens of striking Mister Sweet workers briefly shut the gates of the Labour Department’s office in Germiston on Tuesday, demanding that officials take action against the company owned by Premier. The workers had first marched to the department’s Alberton office where they handed over a memorandum of demands before marching to the office in Germiston.

This comes as the strike entered its 11th week. The striking workers are asking for a minimum of R12,500 for the lowest-paid workers and R16,500 for workers in higher-level positions. But the company has to date stuck to its initial 7% offer.

Meanwhile, when the marchers arrived at the Germiston labour office on Tuesday to hand over a memo at 10am, no officials came out to meet them. After waiting outside a few hours, at lunchtime the protesters locked two of the building’s front gates, preventing staff and clients from leaving or entering.

Protesters say the department has ignored health and safety violations made by the company. Particularly concerning is that at least four casual workers hired in their place since the strike have lost fingers, and that some casual workers have been sleeping inside the factory without proper sleeping quarters and bathrooms, according to the group’s memorandum.

The workers said they wrote a letter to the department when the incidents happened following which an inspector was sent to the factory four weeks ago. They claim that the inspector left the factory with “a lot of packets of sweets” and suspect that he may have been bribed. They are demanding to see the report compiled by this inspector.

Shereen Ceaser, an accounting officer at the Germiston labour Office, eventually came out and received the group’s memo. Workers also handed over photos of the inspector who visited the branch and demanded that their allegations be investigated.

“The Germiston labour office took us for granted when we came here, and we were forced to lock their gates. Next time we won’t be so lenient,” said Edgar Mokgola, an organiser from the Simunye Workers Forum, representing the striking workers.

He said the Forum had tried, to no avail, to meet the inspector. “The department should stop using corrupt inspectors who do not do a thorough job,” he said.

Asithandile Jam Jam, a worker representative said: “We want the Department of Labour to give us answers and for them to take their work seriously. As workers, we end up taking matters to the CCMA because the department fails to help us.”

Mboniseni Matenjwa said: “Inexperienced workers continue to get hurt at work because both Mister Sweet and the department are doing nothing. The fact that the strike has gone on for this long makes us feel like even our authorities are failing us.”

Spokesperson for Premier Siobhan O’Sullivan denied the allegations made by the striking workers. “Premier is committed to providing a safe working environment for all our employees, in compliance with all labour and health and safety regulations. We are committed to the fair treatment and safety of our employees, both permanent and temporary.”

On workers sleeping inside the factory, O’Sullivan said that the temporary on-site accommodation had “adequate ablution facilities and the provision of catering, for those employees who fear intimidation when leaving the premises”.

She said that any workplace injuries have been reported to the Department of Labour in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act .

The labour department promised to respond to our questions on Wednesday afternoon. Their response will be included once received.

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