PrintRecent developments relating to the ABI strike actions
28 January 2010
FAWU is proud of its members who are workers at the beer division of SAB and ABI Coke for staging a successful protest march to the offices of SABMiller at No 1 Jan Smuts Avenue in Braamfontein yesterday (27th January 2010). We estimate that between 4 000 and 4 200 workers participated in this historic march.
A copy of memorandum addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of SABMiller, Graham McKay, was received by Mark Bowman, the Chief Executive Officer of SABMiller`s Africa operations. The essence of the memorandum was calling on him to intervene in meeting the reasonable and noble demands of our members at ABI.
Workers were also addressed by the General Secretary of COSATU, Mr Zwelinzima Vavi, at 13h30, in which he formally announced to consumer boycott campaign and the campaign against coca cola sponsorship in the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup event.
Meanwhile, workers will continue to be on strike and will continue with picketing and other demonstrations next to ABI premises, particularly at the four manufacturing plants in Midrand, Pretoria West, Develand (next to Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital) in Gauteng and Phoenix (in Durban) on a daily basis until ABI meets workers demands.
We are pleased with 90% stay-away by our members, representing 250 workers, employed in the beer operations of SAB Ltd in the Western Cape and reject blue lies by ABI management that only 95 beer workers nationally were on strike, as discredited cheap propaganda that will only be believed by the children of Robyn Chalmers (SAB Ltd spokesperson) and not workers.
We call on management to meet our demands and stop splashing millions on security, hotels, car hire, strike bonus and other unnecessary costs as publicly confirmed by the ABI managing director, John Ustas. Meanwhile, we call on frustrated manufacturing and distribution managers to come openly on their concerns regarding safety, quality, hygine and other standards that are compromised.
We call on John Ustas to institute investigations on the tendering process relating to labour brokers as we have every reason to believe that corruption may be characterizing this process.
Please call General Secretary Katishi Masemola on 082 467 2509 for more information.
Katishi Masemola
FAWU General Secretary
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